Destruction
by Jemima123
Summary: "I'm one of them, Erik, I'm the enemy who you would destroy." She looked at him, challenging his gaze as he remained glaring back at her. After deliberation he spoke his carefully thought out words. "There are exceptions to every rule." Erik/OC
1. Chapter 1

"It is, of course, utterly ludicrous," Emma Xavier's shrill voice spoke as she watched her brother seriously contemplate the task which had been presented in front of him. His blue eyes were twinkling against his pale features as he pushed his black hair behind his ears, scrunching his nose up as he took in the beaker of alcohol which was currently sitting on the bar, waiting to be drunk by him, nonetheless. "How drunk do you think you shall be by the end of this evening?"

"Very!" Raven's squeaky voice became obvious and Emma turned her gaze to look at the blonde who clapped her hands, giddy with excitement for some unknown reason. "Oh come on, Charles! You have to do it!"

"He does not have to do it," Emma said, her voice coming down on Charles like a weight of lead as Raven rolled her eyes. "I, for one, do not intend to be carrying him back to his apartment."

"I'll carry you then," Raven promised him, placing her hand onto his arm and squeezing it gently as Emma folded her legs, pulling down the tight black material of her skirt to cover more of her thigh as Raven continued to bounce around in her seat. "It is only once in a lifetime that you end up becoming a professor."

"I suppose it is, isn't it?" Charles said, looking at Raven with an adoring smile and then turning back to his sister with a mischievous grin plastered across his face. Emma raised her hands in surrender as she watched Charles stand up slowly, moving into the crowd of the pub regulars as they passed him the large tube of alcohol. Raven stood up as Charles took centre stage and Emma remained seated, her eyes intently watching Charles, wondering if he could manage all of the alcohol in one go.

"So you don't fancy giving it a shot, Emma?" a new voice asked and the black haired girl turned her head to the side to come face to face with Damon. Her ex-boyfriend. She smiled tauntingly at him as he smirked down at her, his eyes carelessly taking in her bare thigh as she shook her head.

"Don't be ridiculous Damon. Us History graduates have much more decorum then those Mutation Professors," she assured him and he snorted once and loudly at her.

"I heard you'd graduated. Top of the class, am I correct?" he asked her and she winked slyly at him, her flirtatious side coming out a bit as she heard a roar of cheer and managed to see Charles joining in out of the corner of her eye.

"You are correct. And I heard you didn't graduate. Clearly Law isn't for you," she said to him as he grinned back at her, biting his tongue down so not to say anything rude to the woman he had dated for one whole year of his life.

"I'm redoing the course."

"I didn't think that was possible."

"Well when your father is as influential as mine-"

"-Then money can buy you everything which you need," Emma finished off for him as Charles stood beside the younger man, his eyes looking down at his sister who subconsciously told him that she could handle Damon and that he didn't need to worry. Damon picked up on the lack of conversation and sighed gently once, looking at Charles and then back to Emma.

"I can tell when I'm not wanted," he assured her.

"I would just prefer for you to stay away from Emma," Charles admitted to Damon. "I'm not in the right frame of mind and I would hate to do something which I may regret to you so it would be advisable for you to leave us be."

Damon moved away from their table, finding his friends in the rowdy bar whilst Charles sat down, depositing the empty large glass by the side of his chair as he ran his hands over his sweating face and undid another button to his shirt and Emma couldn't help but grin.

"I'm impressed," she said to Charles who forced a smile onto his face at his younger sibling.

"It is much harder than it looks," he promised her.

"No," she shook her head back at him. "I'm impressed that you have drank that and are still standing."

Raven couldn't help but snort into her cola as she drank it down her throat and a smile occupied her face. Charles rolled his eyes at Emma and stuck his tongue out at her as she scoffed, her eyes going wide and her neck moving back slightly.

"Very mature, Professor," she hissed back at him and Charles closed his eyes, his hands moving through his dark hair as he groaned lightly to himself.

"Professor," he repeated the word. "I will be going bald and grey before you know it. Oh dear God."

"So vain," Emma muttered. "Do you want another cola, Raven?"

"Well if you're offering," Raven shrugged, downing her alcohol as Emma picked up the empty glass. "And I'll get you some water, Charles, no more alcohol tonight."

"Yes mum."

Emma chuckled gently, moving over to the bar where she saw the blonde woman Charles had flirted with the previous night. She ignored her and went about placing her order. She waited for the drinks and as she did Raven came bounding over to her. She rested her hands onto the bar, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet as Emma looked at her adoptive sister.

"Damon didn't bother you, did he?" she wondered and Emma shrugged lightly, the sheer blouse moving up and down her arms as she made the motion.

"It still bothers me to see him, Raven," she said to the younger blonde. "He was my only relationship."

"But he doesn't deserve you."

"You are too kind," Emma promised the younger sibling. "It is trait which you must have picked up from Charles."

"Thank goodness that is the only one I have picked up from him," Raven replied as she turned back to look for her brother but she found him sat at a different table. She nudged Emma in the ribs and the black haired girl moaned slightly at the contact before noting the thing which Raven was nodding towards.

"And who is she?" Raven mumbled to Emma as their drinks were served but neither of them paid any attention to the beverages, more intrigued by Charles sat with a mysterious auburn haired woman.

"I don't know," Emma replied. "But he's got his fingers on his temple."

Charles picked up on the two young women watching him and he slowly averted his eyes from the newly introduced agent before speaking into his little sisters mind.

_Get your coat. We're needed by the FBI._

...

A/N: Reviews are encouraging guys! Let me know what you think at the moment!


	2. Chapter 2

"You can't honestly believe that I'm just going to stay here, can you?" Emma snapped at Charles once they had arrived back at their apartment. Raven had gone off into her room after Charles had told her to pack a bag and be quick about it. He had told Emma what he thought should happen to her and it was safe to say she was anything but impressed. Charles took in a deep breath, scruffily folding up his shirt and placing it into a large go-bag as Emma stood in the doorway. Her hands were on her hips as he blue eyes looked into Charles's.

"It is safer for you, Emma," he promised her and she scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes at hearing his words.

"So why are you not keeping Raven at home?" she pondered aloud, playing her own card whilst Charles moved into another drawer. He didn't answer her and instead he heard a loud tut noise come from her mouth and she rested her back against the doorframe gently, her hands resting behind her and holding onto the wood as she made the move.

"It's because Raven is a mutant, isn't it?" she checked and Charles bit his bottom lip, looking to his younger sibling who had her head tilted back and a menacing grin of disbelief held on her face.

"Raven can hold her own, Emma," Charles whispered. "She has the ability to get out of trouble if it comes looking for her. And we both know that is a frequent occurrence."

"I can get out of trouble!" Emma snapped back at him. "I can look after myself, Charles. You don't need to baby me!"

"Oh, my love," Charles chuckled gently to himself, shaking his head as he finally zipped his bag up and flung it onto his shoulder. "You are my little sister, Emma. These people who we are going up against could be highly dangerous. As I have said, Raven can shape shift herself out of trouble and I can control minds. It would be too dangerous for you too, my darling."

"Rubbish!" Emma snapped at Charles. "If I am with you then I will be fine. You're overreacting, Charles."

"I think she should come," Raven's voice suddenly spoke in the room and the pair of them turned to look at the blonde haired girl who held a case in her hands with ease. She looked back and forth at the pair of them as Charles glared at her and Emma smirked smugly. "It isn't fair keeping her here, is it Charles? And besides, she's with us. Nothing can go wrong."

"You shouldn't prejudice against me just because I don't have any extraordinary mutant power," Emma raised a brow and folded her arms as Charles began to defend himself, saying it didn't matter that she was normal but Emma silenced him with a glare.

"It is obvious you're not letting her come because she's not a mutant," Raven piped up again as she bounced gently on her heels.

"You are to do exactly as I say, Emma," Charles warned her, his hands resting on his hips. "Raven and I are to be with you at all times if anything were to get out of hand."

"Is this you negotiating?" Emma wondered and Charles gently smirked.

"Don't get used to it."

...

"I wish she would keep her eyes off of him for one minute," Emma mumbled as she and Raven stood outside the airport terminal later on that night. Emma could feel her eyes begin to droop as the clock struck twelve. Her head was pounding from her previous debate with Charles and the fresh air was more preferable than the stuffy airport waiting room. The pair of young women was sat on a bench as cars passed, picking up and dropping off people. Raven chuckled gently, looking where Emma was as she pushed a hand through her hair.

"I would have thought we'd have gotten used to women fawning over him," she replied to the black haired girl who snorted, folding her arms across her midriff to ignore the cold night air. "I mean, he hasn't exactly been short of female attention ever since he hit the age of twenty one."

"But she's supposed to be an FBI agent," Emma motioned over to Moira MacTaggert who was speaking to Charles whilst showing him a file which she had in her hands and he looked intently at it, his hand resting on his chin as he listened to her. "She isn't supposed to be flirting with him. Look at the way she is pushing her hair from her face. It is an obvious sign of attraction."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Raven said, sarcasm laid in her voice, "I didn't realise that you were a psychology graduate as well as History graduate."

"Very ironic," Emma assured her adopted sister. "I am just saying that this is supposed to be some kind of mission."

"You need to lighten up," Raven assured her. "You're not fun when you're in a mood."

"I'm sorry," Emma said childishly, "I didn't realise that I needed to follow your way of life."

"Burn," Raven rolled her eyes. "Just because I don't take life too seriously doesn't mean that I'm not serious sometimes."

"Sorry," Emma mumbled. "I just...I get fed up of seeing him always flirting with girls but never doing anything seriously. He can't lead them on like he did the blonde in the bar."

"This is Charles," Raven shrugged, tightening the bow around her coat as she blew warm air onto her hands. "He takes his studies too importantly to care for a distraction. I think it's cute that you're concerned for him."

"I am not," Emma denied and Raven rested her hand onto her arm.

"He was concerned about you and Damon," she promised her. "He was extremely concerned. It took me a lot of might to stop him from going and hitting him."

"I can imagine," Emma whispered as she saw Charles and Moira make their way over to the two girls. Moira looked almost unappeasable as she continued to check her watch, her hands rubbing her eyes as she looked at the airport building.

"We should be going," she told the woman and they stood up as Charles stuffed his hands into his pockets. Raven bounced off into the terminal first as Moira followed and Charles walked beside his younger sister who was shivering slightly in the cold night, her eyes showing tiredness and her head pounding.

"You should be able to sleep on the plane to America," he promised her, sensing the negative thoughts coming from her mind. She looked to the side at him and he picked her hand up quickly, gently squeezing it as they continued to follow Raven and Moira.

"I can't sleep, Charles," she muttered. "I hate flying."

"I know, my love," he spoke. "I shall be able to control your mind if that appeases you anymore?"

"Well you will need to shut Raven up then," she joked gently with him and he smiled softly. "All she does is talk when she's not tired and considering she slept in until one this afternoon then I would say she's not tired at all."

"I shall take care of Raven," he assured her. "Everything is going to be alright."

"You don't know that, Charles," Emma shook her head at her brother after a moment. Moira hung back, handing Charles and Emma a ticket as she smiled willingly at Charles and Emma rolled her eyes openly.

"Don't pretend you haven't seen her look at you that way," Emma demanded from Charles when he saw Moira strike up conversation with Raven about the flight to America. He had the usual dumbstruck smirk on his face as his fingers rested gently on his temple. Emma shifted the black, leather bag further onto her shoulder as Charles looked into her eyes.

"What?" he asked her, feigning innocence whilst she rolled her eyes.

"She thinks you're good looking and can't help but smile at you, Charles," Emma said as if it were obvious. And it was. Charles knew it was obvious that Moira thought he was attractive but both of them knew work was to come first. And besides, he had much more to worry about and that was before he even met Erik Lensherr.


	3. Chapter 3

"As she is an FBI agent, I think you should leave her alone," Emma shrugged as she sat beside Charles on the plane, awaiting the all clear for takeoff. Charles had his seat belt covering his waist, his hands clasped together and resting on top of his flat stomach. Emma had the aisle seat whereas Raven had taken the seat next to Moira by the front of the plane, allowing Charles to sit with his sister and calm her mind during the flight.

"She's a CIA agent," Charles simply responded as he closed his eyes, feeling the presence of so many minds in a confined space not to his liking. Emma rolled her eyes, leaning back in the seat, her body angled closer to Charles as she did so.

"We need a serious talk about how you treat women, Charles Francis Xavier," she said and Charles allowed a chuckled to escape his red lips.

"My full name," he murmured. "I'm certainly in trouble. And I am aware how Moira looks at me, Emma, do not think me naive."

"Whatever," Emma finally muttered after hearing the shutting of the plane doors and she gulped loudly, fastening her seatbelt across her waist tightly. Charles picked up on her change of mood and he opened one of his eyes, glancing her way to see her eyes looking into her lap as the safety talk began.

"You'll be fine, darling," he promised her, picking her hand up into his own as she managed a forceful smile in his direction. He smiled back at her before she closed her eyes and he allowed his free hand to move to his temple.

'_Go to sleep,'_ He commanded his younger sibling and as he made his move he knew she wouldn't be waking up for the remained of the trip.

...

"Emma is sleeping," Charles informed his adopted sister as he took the empty seat across the aisle from Raven and Moira. The agent leant forward, leaning closer to Raven to peer across the way to Charles as he simply continued staring at the blonde who took the hint.

"I'll go and look after Emma," she stated, patting the armrests with her pale hands before standing up and moving down the aisle. Charles took not time in moving to sit next to Moira, deeply intrigued to find out what she had seen that night at the Hellfire Club. Raven stumbled down the aisle as the plane hit a spot of turbulence and she grabbed onto the backs of chairs to keep herself upright. As soon as she reached Emma's row she shimmied in front of her to get to the window seat, flopping down into it and folding her arms and crossing her legs.

"He's kicked you out to sit with Moira, hasn't he?" Emma checked with Raven as her eyes remained closed. The blonde looked at her and huffed gently once.

"He said you were sleeping," she simply replied and Emma snorted in an unladylike fashion before bumping up and down on her seat due to the wind the plane was pushing through.

"Do you honestly think I could sleep through this torrential windstorm?" Emma wondered, finally opening her eyes to look at Raven in a condescending manner and the blonde shrugged, looking out of the window into the dark grey clouds, her face pressed right up against the glass.

"It isn't that bad, Em, just a bit of wind," she promised her and Emma let out a hysterical laugh.

"This is like being in the middle of a hurricane," she complained.

"You do exaggerate," Raven muttered, leaning back in her seat and picking up the magazine which had been hidden in the pocket of the chair in front of her. "Just relax. Sit back and think of this little adventure which we're going on."

"That's just going to make me worry even more," Emma muttered, pushing her hand through her curly hair to move it behind her large ears. "You don't realise how simple Oxford life is until you leave it."

"But it was boring," Raven said, the boredom clearly showing in her voice. "All you two did was study and all I did was waitress. At least this is exciting...the closest thing we got to excitement in Oxford was Charles having a punch up with your ex."

"Oh please don't remind me of that night," Emma simply complained. "I thought he had calmed down after a week."

"I doubt he will ever calm down with that issue," Raven rolled her eyes. "It was quite amusing to see the man who would rather use words than actions become a hypocrite."

"I suppose so," Emma said, dropping the subject and beginning a new one. "So did Moira say what the plan is once we land in the States?"

"She just told me that we would need to go to the CIA Headquarters or something like that which is to do with interesting agents. She wants Charles to report to her bosses and tell them about genetics...sounds a bit boring...I mean, who is going to believe Charles based on some presentation?"

"Yes," Emma nodded in agreement. "Yet, turning blue would maybe not be the best way to persuade them or to win them over."

"No kidding," Raven grumbled, arching a brow as she did so.

...

"You just need to take a deep breath, my love," Charles urged his sister as they stepped off the plane and the fresh air hit them. Raven was stood beside Emma, looking down onto her as some of the colour returned to her cheeks. One of Charles's hands rested on the small of her back, helping to keep push her along with the queue to go through passport control.

"She looks like she is going to pass out," Moira said and Emma remained tight lipped. She had just experienced one of the worst flights known to her. If she were to be honest then she believed she did well not to throw up from the hell which she had just endured.

"Or puke," Raven said crudely and Emma looked at her sister and rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine," Emma finally croaked out. "I'm okay. You need to stop worrying." She urged, her eyes looking into Charles's as she said it and he managed a small smile for her, knowing that she wanted him to stop worrying for her like a little child.

"Right," Moira clapped, glad to hear Emma was at least trying to stop them from worrying. "So we have a car picking us up from the airport and we need to be going quickly. Shaw isn't resting and neither can we."

...

"Thank you very much gentlemen," Charles said with a polite yet curt nod of his head as he took a seat after finishing off his presentation on mutation. Emma sat beside Raven who was sat beside Moira. The two sisters looked as though they were ready to drop to sleep, one due to boredom and the other due to a lack of sleep. Charles folded his legs as he looked on at the two gentlemen, clasping his hands and waiting for some kind of response. He knew what to expect and was just waiting to prove himself at the opportune moment.

"MacTaggert," one agent began in a drawl, "you really think some crackpot scientist is going to make me believe in vanishing men and sparkling dames? You just earned yourself a one way ticket back to the typing pool. This conversation is over."

"Sit down Agent MacTaggert," Charles said to her quickly and she did as she was told slowly. "I didn't really expect you to understand seeing as the only thing which you could think about was the type of desert which they are serving in the cafeteria," Charles said and took a moment to think as Emma tried not to say anything out loud at what was happening. "It is Apple Pecan. I'm sorry, my love, I haven't been entirely honest with you," he spoke to Moira before shifting uncomfortably in his seat, his eyes then narrowing back onto the agents. "You see, one of the many spectacular things which my mutation allows me to do is that I can read your mind."

There was an awkward silence as the agents looked at each other and then turned back to Charles, a large grin spreading on their faces as they clearly did not buy into his claimed mutation.

"I've seen this before in magic shows. Are you going to ask me to pick a number between one and ten?" he wondered and Charles chuckled, shutting his eyes as he did so.

"I could do that," Charles nodded. "Or I could ask you about your son? Or the missiles which America plan to place in Turkey?"

And then the silence which existed before became worse than that moment. Suddenly, there was a firing of accusations about bringing Charles in as a spy which echoed around the room before Emma saw Raven stand up.

"Raven," she hissed, pleading with her to sit back down but it was too late. Raven shifted from her natural, beautiful blonde self and into the agent on the other side of the table. The roaring calmed down and Charles looked at his sister as she turned blue again.

"How's that for a magic trick?" he asked snidely as Emma buried her head into her hands, wondering what was going to happen next.

...

"So what is your mutation?" the agent in black asked Emma as Charles pressed his fingers to his temple on the way to the car park. They were supposed to be heading to Division X but Charles had different ideas. A lead on Shaw was what needed to be followed up desperately.

"I don't have one," Emma spoke back quickly. "I'm a boring human."

"Oh," the agent replied and Raven looked at her sister and then the agent. "I just thought that maybe you had some great power considering you were related to Charles."

"No," Emma said. Her body was physically drained and her manner was increasingly curt. She wanted nothing more than to find a bed and collapse down onto it. And a shower wouldn't go amiss.

"I'm sure you're going to love my Division, nonetheless," the agent assured her and it was Charles who answered, swinging his briefcase by his side and stuffing a hand into his pocket.

"It's going to have to wait. Agent MacTaggert had a lead on Shaw and if we lose him now then we're going to be in trouble," Charles replied and Emma silently groaned at hearing the plan which Charles intended to put into place.

"That's good," the agent nodded quickly, "but I cannot take you anywhere else but my facility."

"I've just had a nice talk with Moira and we need to go," Charles replied and said agent pulled up in her car as Charles opened the door, "it was a lovely conversation, wasn't it Agent?"

"Yes it was," she nodded chirpily.

"How?" the agent asked, dumbfounded as to what Charles had just said.

"He can't just read minds," Raven was the one to speak, tired of her brother having all the attention for his invisible mutation. "But he can control them too."

"Excellent," the agent grinned, "but I cannot take you anywhere but my facility."

"Do you want to see another magic trick?"

"Sure?"

"Get in the car."

"Good idea."

"You're such a manipulating twit," Emma informed her brother as he shut the front door on the agent and opened the back door for his younger sibling.

"Apologise," he commanded her.

"I'm sorry," she responded and glared at him, jabbing his arm as she shuffled into the middle seat of the vehicle and Charles couldn't help but grin at his previous effort.

...

"So first you make me go on a plane and now a boat?" Emma snapped at Charles as the night drew over them. They were stood near the front of the vessel as smaller boats sped towards the yacht they were intending on intercepting. Charles had his fingers resting on his temple as he intently watched into the night. Raven had gone below deck, complaining she didn't feel too well as she searched for a bathroom.

"Not now, Emma," Charles said impatiently before he winced suddenly, dropping his fingers from his skin as if they had burnt him. "There's someone on that ship..."

"What do you mean?" Moira piped up, folding her arms and stepping forwards.

"There's another telepath on the yacht...this is incredible...I can actually feel her in my mind..." Charles said and Emma's blue eyes went wide as she rested a hand onto her brother's arm as she looked into the distance.

"Jesus," she muttered, seeing a large gust of wind hurl through the air and knock the speedboats into a horizontal position.

"My God," Charles replied. "We need to get down..."

Emma followed Charles on their way below deck as she saw Raven begin to move back into the open air. She grabbed onto her elbow, turning her to move back along with them before Charles suddenly stopped, pain shooting through his body as his eyes closed.

"Charles!" Raven worried.

"There's someone else out there," he responded, moving back up the stairs with haste until he came to the deck and pointed into the distance where they saw an anchor flying through the air, ripping the boat into shreds with immense hatred.

"He's crazy!" Emma snapped out. "What is he doing?"

"I don't know," Charles admitted, trying to look into his mind as he watched the series of events unfold in front of him. "He's...he is holding onto the submarine..." Charles said and he began to rush forwards, standing on the walkway and looking down into the water. Moira stood close to his side as Raven and Emma looked into the lit up shade of water.

"You need to let go!" Charles yelled. "Let go!"

But the man wasn't listening. His head bobbed up and down in the murky depths as an invisible force helped him to remain holding onto the underwater machine.

"Charles!" Emma called out his name as he began to run down the length of the boat. Raven and Emma followed him quickly; not knowing what he was doing but feeling as though they should follow.

"Charles!" Emma screeched out as soon as she saw him leap off the boat. She stood by the edge, trying to see where he fallen into the water but finding it impossible to do so. She knelt by the railing, her hands grabbing onto the metal as Raven's mouth hung open, her eyes scanning the water.

"He's going to be okay," Raven said simply to Emma, her hand resting on her shoulder. "He's going to be fine."

"I can't see him," Emma panicked. "He's not down there...Raven...he's not there..."

"Don't worry," Raven replied, kneeling by Emma, "when he comes back then I'm going to kill him myself."

"We're over here!" Charles's sudden voice rang out as the rescue mission for the pair of them in the water began. Emma took a deep breath, managing to stand up and move into the room off the side of the boat where she found blankets for when he managed to climb back onto the boat. Her knees felt like jelly and her heart rate was ridiculously high as she waited for Charles to join her once again.

"You stupid, bloody, naive idiot!" Emma roared at her brother as he collapsed onto a heap on the deck. Emma knelt by his side, draping the large blanket around his shoulders, rubbing it up and down his wet arms in an attempt to warm him up. She hit him on the arm once before Raven hit him around the head, resting her hand onto her hip as she stood before the pair of them along with Moira and the agent.

"I'm sorry," Charles replied to both of them. Neither of the women noted the other half drowned man stood to the side, his hands resting on the bars as he looked into the water, wondering where Shaw had gotten to as he did so. "I couldn't allow a fellow mutant to kill himself, could I?"

"You didn't have to risk your own life, did you?" Emma replied in a hiss to him. "You could have just communicated with him...or he didn't need to have to been so stupid..."

"Emma," Charles warned his younger sister, sensing Erik's muscles tighten and his thoughts turn dark at what he had heard the young woman say. "There is no need to talk like that."

"You're still an idiot," Emma replied, resting her forehead onto his wet shoulder as he kissed the top of her head gently. Erik turned around and looked onto the sight of the two siblings as Emma helped Charles to stand up and he took the blanket from the other blonde and pushed it through his hair, drying it off slightly.

"Raven, Emma, this is Erik Lensherr," Charles said, extending a hand and introducing the man to his siblings. Moira and the agent had gone off to a corner, speaking in hushed tones about the new introduction to the vessel whilst Erik pretended to be oblivious to their conversation. "Erik, this is my sister, Raven and my other sister, Emma."

Emma could tell that Erik was a man of few words. He didn't even extend a nod in their way or manage a smile. There were no exchanges of pleasantries but Emma thought that was probably for the best, considering she didn't think she would be able to hold her tongue.

"I'm going to go and think," Erik simply said and Emma snorted once as Charles nodded in understanding. Erik remained still, raising a brow at her lack of politeness towards him.

"Charles just saved your life," she informed him. "He risked his own life to save yours. I imagine the least you can do is say 'thank you.'"

"Emma," Charles warned his sister as Erik glared at her.

"No," she replied. "Does he not understand what could have happened?"

"It is fine, Erik," Charles assured the metal bender as he wrapped an arm around his sister's waist, trying to steer her off into the inside before Erik became angry again.

"It is not fine," Emma said, huffing as she did so but allowing Charles to move her inside, her complains and insults still directed on the topic of Erik as she went.

"She's certainly got a problem," Erik mumbled, intending for no one to hear but himself. Unfortunately Raven wasn't deaf.

"Yeah," the blonde nodded in agreement. "And it looks like you're it."

...

A/N: So thank you to my seven reviews which I have received! I took all the comments aboard and am glad most of you are enjoying it! Anyway, if you are reading then please do leave a little note to say what you think so far! Much more to come so do review!


	4. Chapter 4

"Did that moron not understand that he could have gotten you killed?" Emma snapped as soon as she and Charles were alone. Charles had asked Moira if there were a room where he could go and find some clean clothes and change. She had hastily led him to a spare bedroom on board the vessel and told him that he knew she was there if he needed anything. Emma was sat on the small bed in the cabin with her legs crossed whilst Charles stood in the small bathroom which led off the room. "And then he didn't even say sorry. What kind of person does that, Charles?"

"You need to calm your mind, my love," Charles urged his sister, trying to quickly move from his wet jumped as he spoke to her and she huffed from the room, her hands balling into fists as she leant against the headboard. "Erik has been through a lot. You do not understand."

"But I do understand common courtesy," she retaliated whilst Charles raised a brow and pulled his body into another jumper quickly.

"I am aware," Charles called back out to her. "Erik is full of so much hate and anger, Emma. I've seen what he has been through and I can understand why he is how he is."

"And what has he been through?" Emma wondered aloud, standing up and moving around the small room, stopping at the mirror and running her hands through her long, tangled hair. There was a silence and Emma picked up on the hesitance from her brother to tell her what he knew about Erik. "You can tell me, Charles. It isn't like I am going to go and speak to our new little mutant friend," Emma said, her voice quite snide as she spoke and Charles finally finished changing and he moved back into the main room, closing the door to the bathroom.

"There is no need to be so condescending, Emma," he scolded his younger sibling. "Erik and Shaw have a history."

"That's very vague," Emma complained, her nose rising into the air as she sniffed out for some more information and Charles pushed the towel around his shoulders through his hair.

"I don't know if Erik would be at all impressed with me divulging information about him with the woman who greeted him so coldly," Charles admitted to her and she turned on her heel, her cheeks puffed out as she looked ready to begin roaring at Charles once again. He raised his hands in surrender to her, silencing her before she could begin. "I know that Erik wasn't the pleasantest to you, Emma."

"That is an understatement," she snorted. "So what is this history?"

"Erik was a child in a concentration camp, Emma," Charles said, hoping to give her as little information as possible but just enough to satisfy her appetite and get her to leave Erik alone. "Shaw did things to him to help him...get his powers to work."

Emma remained quiet for a moment, crossing her arms as Charles looked down at her and she looked to the ground. He could sense the cogs in her brain turning as she tried to work out the cryptic message which he had just told her. He sighed lightly once, wiping a stray droplet of water from his face before expanding on what he had just said.

"In order to get his powers to show then he experimented on him...he used Erik as his own personal lab rat, Emma," Charles replied and she remained quiet, pursing her lips as she thought about what she had just been told. Charles sighed, knowing she didn't plan to apologise to Erik for her outburst due to her stubbornness.

"I suppose...well...I mean...that's horrid...of course it is," Emma garbled and Charles nodded in agreement, his eyes wide as he did so and his face scrunched up in concentration.

"It is," he spoke.

"He could still have thanked you," she muttered lowly, moving past Charles to the door of the small cabin. The telepath followed his sister in silence as they made their way up to deck just in time to see the coastguard ship docking in the port. Moira was stood with Raven, animatedly chatting to the young blonde as the two of them continued to occasionally glance to their left in order to see Erik who was still looking out to the sea.

"We're docking and then we should be on the next flight out of Miami and back to Division X," Moira said, directing her attention to Charles as she told him and he nodded once, his face stern as he did so. "Do you think he plans to come with us?"

"I think so," Charles whispered so Erik couldn't hear. Raven looked at her sister with a raised brow and Emma simply rolled her eyes in response. "I think he will want to see what the CIA can do to help him find Shaw."

"Why does he want Shaw?" Moira enquired and Charles shook his head at her.

"You shall need to ask him that," he replied. He had told his sister about Erik in order to stop her from being hostile to the man with the short temper. He didn't plan on giving away information to anyone willingly.

...

"This is much better," Charles commented on the flight back to Virginia. The flight was only to take them an hour and a half at most and then there would be the drive to the Division which was in a remote area. Charles had come out of the small bathroom after being given his own luggage and he had changed himself back into his usual grey and smart suit. Emma smiled once at him as he took a seat beside her. She had the shutter on the small CIA plane closed and was leaning against the seat, her legs tucked up to her chin and her eyes drooping as she looked at Charles rub his hands together. "Suits are much more appropriate, would you not agree?"

"You always look smart, Charles," she replied to her brother. Raven had taken the seat behind them, using the two spaces to herself to crawl out on and sleep. Erik was sat near the front of the plane with Moira next to him, telling her what he knew about Shaw which wasn't a lot. He had been searching for too many years to find him.

"And you are looking extremely tired," he informed his sister and she shrugged lightly, pulling her grey coat tighter around her body as the plane shook once and she immediately grabbed onto Charles's outstretched hand. He looked at her for a moment, an encouraging smile on his face as she released him from her vice like grasp.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"It is no problem," he said clearly. "I need to go and speak with Moira for a moment about where we are going."

"No," Emma suddenly snapped at her brother. "You're swapping seats and so he will have to come and sit here, won't he?"

Charles remained quiet and Emma searched her eyes like she was looking into a mirror and then she rolled her own orbs before shutting them.

"You want him to sit here so that I can apologise for my curt manner, don't you?" she snapped at Charles and the telepath picked up her hand, kissing the back of it as he stood up from his seat.

"I don't want any tension, Emma," he spoke to his little sister. "A simple sorry should do the trick."

"And if I don't say sorry?" she challenged him like a little child, her chin jutting out as she spoke to him and he grinned back at her.

"I can control your mind, my love. I don't want to but I would."

"Fine."

And with a brief nod Charles had left her. Emma remained seated in her seat, shuffling around in it so she was slightly more comfy. She looked onto the aisle; waiting for Erik to come into sight which he did so after a moment. His jaw was set squarely and his eyes were narrowed at anywhere but her. He plonked himself down into the vacant seat and folded his arms, the muscles still pronounced under the brown leather jacket which he wore. Emma looked at him as he looked at the back of the chair in front of him and she felt Charles in her mind.

'_Be good.'_

'_Shut up, Charles.'_

'_I shall leave you to it, darling.'_

Emma snarled in her head before closing her eyes and allowing her lips to part, trying to allow the magic word to roll off of her tongue.

"Sorry." There. She had said it. That should shut Charles up. She remained with her eyes closed but she heard Erik shift in his seat and she could almost feel his gaze looking into her, burning through her skin with its intensity.

"Is that your attempt at an apology?" he simply enquired from her, his voice low and deep as it echoed through the air and into her ears. She opened her eyes, glaring into his dark ones as she tried not to snap at him.

"I suppose so," she replied back to him. "Do you accept it?"

"Not when I know you don't mean it," Erik replied back to her. And he was smirking. A string of thought ran through Emma's head as she saw his features look amused and she turned red with annoyance.

"I said sorry," she replied to him, her voice full of reluctance to even be associating with him. "What more do you want?"

"A genuine apology."

"Well you're going to be waiting a long time," she snapped back at him and he chuckled, turning to look back at the chair in front of him as he crossed his legs and the pair of them lapsed back into silence. Erik could tell the young woman was still fuming with him but he failed to care. He knew she wouldn't last long in the awkward lack of conversation and he was right. Twenty seconds later she was snapping at him again;

"And I'm not sorry for what I said. If anything I wish I could have insulted you more. You almost had my brother killed."

"I didn't ask him to jump in after me, did I?" Erik replied to her and she didn't need to answer his question, knowing the answer was quite simple. Charles didn't need to jump in after him. He could have left him and Erik wouldn't have been any the wiser.

"It was still stupid for you to even think you could hold onto a submarine," Emma murmured and Erik rolled his eyes.

"Do you always have to have the last word?" he wondered aloud.

"Fine then," she drawled. "I will just stop talking."

"I wish you would."

"Could you two keep it down?" Raven's voice suddenly called out, her face peering over the top of the seat in front of her. Her eyes looked between the pair of them as her hair looked like a nest on the top of her pale face. "Some of us are trying to sleep here."

"Your sister is the one who initiated this argument," Erik said defensively.

"He's the one being an ass!" Emma replied and Erik chuckled at her failure of an argument as she removed herself from the tight ball which she had formed herself into and she stood up, moving past Erik and managing to get down the aisle to where Charles was sitting. She bent down by his seat as he turned his attention back to her and raised a brow, seeing her red cheeks and he sighed gently.

"You take the seat next to Moira and I shall sit with Erik."

...

"Your sister is quite the handful," Erik informed Charles once they were stood outside the airport terminal, waiting for a car to come and pick them up. Erik wore sunglasses as the sun rose whilst his eyes scanned the people who were walking past them. Charles looked over to where Emma and Raven were sat, the pair of them looking exhausted as they drained cups of coffee into their bodies.

"I cannot disagree with you on that one," Charles replied to Erik, a small grin moving from his lips. "She is very opinionated also which makes her too stubborn to admit that she is wrong, hence why sorry is such a difficult word to come from her lips."

"No event is safe from your mind, is it Charles?" Erik replied to telepath who ran a hand through his black hair, hoping to give it some more life as he made the motion.

"I'm afraid not, my friend," he said. "Emma is a spirited individual. I am sorry if she said some things which were out of term last night."

"I don't care," Erik shrugged. "She does not like me and it is not something which will keep me awake at night, don't worry."

"I just don't want there to be any negative feelings towards anyone when they can be avoided."

"Such a peaceful man, aren't you?" Erik said, his arms folding and his mouth twitching into a grin and Charles shrugged back at him, checking the watch on his wrist and swinging his bag by his side.

"Peace is much more preferable than war, would you not agree?" Charles enquired and Erik shrugged.

"Not everyone can get along," Erik mumbled. "Your sister and I are a prime example of that."

"Hmm," Charles deliberated.

"So what is her mutant power then?" Erik struck up another conversation, his chin jutting out in the direction of Emma who was laughing along with something which Raven had told her.

"She doesn't have one," Charles replied and Erik looked back at Charles, his eyes wide in shock as he looked back at the telepath who was watching his two sisters. "She is a simple human."

"Even though she is related to you and Raven?"

"Raven is our adopted sister. We took her in when she was young but no, Emma does not have any mutation. I have looked into her genes and I don't think she will ever have anything."

"Odd," Erik muttered. "How come she is here then?"

"Because she refused to stay in Oxford and allow Raven and I to come out here without her."

"Oxford?" Erik snorted and Charles chuckled along with him.

"I know what you're thinking. A posh education and I understand you resent us and our lifestyle."

"I'm not judging."

"We are all judging whether we want to or not."

...

"This is Dr Hank McCoy," the agent in black said as the young doctor moved over to them, raising a hand in acknowledgement. Division X was certainly something interesting and the agent in black seemed extremely proud of what he had achieved. Emma remained stood by Raven's side as the two of them looked on at the young doctor as Charles rushed forward, his posture like that of a giddy schoolchild.

"How wonderful," he said, shaking his Hank's hand, "another mutant right here, why didn't you say so?"

The agent raised a brow, looking at Charles with extreme confusion before Charles sighed, looking back at Hank.

"Because you didn't know," he replied. "I am so, so, sorry."

"Hank?" the agent asked meekly and the young man shrugged awkwardly, his eyes shifting around the room as Raven looked at him, intent full in her eyes as she couldn't help but be interested as to what she was seeing.

"So what?" she asked him. "Your mutation is that you're super smart?"

"I would say," Charles agreed. "Hank here graduated Harvard at the age of fifteen."

"I wish that was all it was," Hank murmured.

"You're with friends now, Hank," Charles urged him. "You can show off."

Erik stood back from view but he continued to watch with intrigue. All of his life he had always thought he was alone and now there were three other mutants with him. He had yet to meet anyone who he could relate to and now they had sprung themselves onto him. But he didn't intend to stay. He couldn't stay anyway. Shaw was his main priority and that was all there was to it.

...

Erik wandered Division X later that evening. The majority of people had left for the night or were sleeping and he decided that was his opportune moment to find all the files which he needed on Shaw. His path was clear until he saw the bane of his life at that moment. Emma Xavier. But there was something completely different. She was walking down the halls, looking on the number of doors as if she was on some form of mission. Erik continued walking, finally managing to see her come into closer view in the dimly lit corridor. She had large red bags under her eyes and the blueness of those orbs had turned to red. She was sniffing loudly and her breathing was hitched as she finally noted Erik's lurking form.

"What are you doing?" he asked her in a long drawl and she looked at him, folding her arms and turning defensive as she did so.

"It is none of your business," she huffed back at him and he rolled his eyes.

"You've been crying. Clearly something has upset you," he replied to her.

"As I said," she snapped, "it is none of your business."

"I don't care anyway," he responded. And then he began to walk off down the hall, his jaw clenched and his hands in balls by his side before he heard her call out after him;

"I'm sorry," she spoke and he stood still, his back still turned to her. "Do you know where Charles is?"

"Turn left at the end of the hall. He is in the second room on the right."

"Thank you," Emma whispered and took off. Erik turned around again to see her rush off down the hall and he went back to his wondering thoughts.

...

"Whatever is wrong?" Charles asked his sister as he opened the door to her. He was just on his way out to intercept Erik but he deduced he had a moment or two before he made a move and left the sobbing form of Emma.

"It is so stupid," Emma responded, wiping her eyes. "I just...I had the dream again..."

"Emma," Charles sighed her name, his hand moving onto her back and guiding her to sit down on the bed in his small room. She did so and allowed him to use the handkerchief sticking out his pocket to wipe her eyes. "You don't need to think it is stupid."

"But it was ten years ago," she whispered. "And it still gets to me."

"I would be terribly disturbed if it didn't," Charles snorted. "You saw something no young child should need to see, my darling."

"But it is just too...I don't think it has ever been this vivid before...Charles..."

"You're stressed," Charles said, giving the explanation to the atrocious nightmare she had just endured. "You need to sleep and not worry."

"Can I stay?" she murmured. "I know it is childish but I just don't think I could be alone after that...please...Charles..."

"Of course," he promised her, standing up and kissing her on the top of her head. "I just need to go and speak to Erik for a moment and then I will be back, I promise you."

She nodded up to him as Charles moved over to the door, opening it and turning to look at her again before he closed it.

"We all have nightmares, Emma," he assured her. "They're nothing to be ashamed of."

...

A/N: Thank you so much to BaDWolF89 and Ninavs2 for reviewing my last chapter! And of course, thank you to anyone else who has reviewed and to anyone who was read this so far! Next chapter will see Emma and Erik having another run in and Charles clarifies things for Erik too! Please do review!


	5. Chapter 5

"_Mother," the small voice called out into the large sitting area where you could usually find Mrs Xavier reading or entertaining herself by doing other things. The eleven year old took a seat on the plush seating opposite her own mother who managed to drop the magazine into her lap and smile over at the young girl. The only normal one of her children. _

"_What is it, darling?" she wondered and Emma Xavier folded her arms, jutting her chin out slightly as she folded her legs like her mother had taught her. She had shown her how to be a proper young lady and it was expected of her to act like that whenever she was under scrutiny. The only time when Emma felt like she could be herself was around Charles. The elder and understanding brother. Raven was always a joy to be around, her giggles were infectious and her conversation could always cheer Emma up. But, Raven had gone away for a while. Charles said she was in her moody teenage years and that she would come back when she realised where her true family was._

"_Charles is being annoying, mother, he keeps on looking into my mind and I do not wish for him to do so," Emma said, her voice whining but showing the maturity of someone far above an eleven year old. Mrs Xavier pursed her lips before standing up and stroking her daughter's long hair. She opened the door to drawing room to find her seventeen year old son lurking in the hallway and she raised a brow in his direction._

"_Please leave your sister be," she spoke sternly to him. _

"_I cannot help it sometimes!" Charles snapped back at his mother and she rolled her eyes at him, dropping her hand onto her hip and her other making sure her neat curls was in place._

"_Stop that, Charles," she demanded from him. "You can control it and we both know that."_

"_I cannot!" he replied quickly to her. "I can't help but do it when I'm stressed and you know how stressed I am with exams looming around the corner."_

"_That is no excuse, Charles," she said curtly back to him as Emma appeared by her mother's side and the woman rested her hands onto her daughter's shoulders as she did so. "Now apologise to her."_

"_I am sorry, Emma," Charles said to his sister begrudgingly and Emma nodded once at Charles. She didn't mean to get him into trouble with their mother; she was just annoyed and frustrated with him always in her head. And she had nothing. She was a boring human with nothing interesting about her and Charles and Raven had these amazing powers. _

"_It is okay," Emma replied, looking apologetically into her brother's eyes and he looked back at his mother._

"_You had best go back to revising, Charles," she spoke to her son and he nodded once before moving off down the hallway to the main entrance. He took off up the steps and the slamming of his bedroom door was audible as Amelia Xavier bent down, looking into her daughter's eyes and pressing her hand against her cheek. _

"_Why don't you go and find your father? He was in his greenhouse tending to the tomato plants, I think he will be there still." she suggested and Emma nodded once, sensing that her mother didn't particularly want her presence and so she nodded in agreement, turning around and skipping off down the hallway. Emma opened the large door after one of the maids had warned her not to dirty the white summer dress which she wore and Emma nodded in agreement, knowing it best to agree with the maids rather than disagree with them. As she walked along the gravelled pavement she could hear the stones clicking against her feet and the fresh warm air was nice to her. _

"_Father?" Emma called out loudly, looking in the large glass greenhouse as she stuck to the path, careful not to trample anything which her father may be growing. She received no reply from the man and continued to keep her search down the building. "Father?"_

_And again there was nothing. And then she saw him. Emma stood still, her eyes going wide and her hands dangling down by her side as she looked up and screamed loudly once, unable to believe what she was seeing. _

"_Come here," Charles's commanding voice suddenly came into her ears and she felt him grab onto her hand and pick her up into his arms, holding her tight to his side as he left the room without another look behind him. Emma did glance back once, much to her dismay. Was she trying to torture herself even more? She didn't know. But she couldn't take her eyes from her father hanging from the metal pole of hanging plants._

"Emma," Charles snapped at her once he returned to the room after his talk with Erik. He had found his sister lay on his bed, tossing and turning as she screamed out loud. Charles knelt by the bed, taking her hands into one of his and then using his other hand to rest on her cheek as she opened her eyes wide and sat up quickly, panting deeply as she did so. Charles sat beside her on the bed, his arm wrapping around her shoulders as she nestled into his side. "You're okay."

"It's not just a dream," Emma whispered, trying not to cry in front of Charles. "It was real...Charles...it was real."

"I know," he simply managed to agree with her. "I know."

...

"Cerebro as in the Spanish for brain, yes?" Emma asked the following morning. She had awoke to find Charles had left her already, a note on the bedside table explaining that he had a meeting with the agent in black. After she had showered and changed into her blue dress she took off and managed to hunt Charles, Erik and Raven down along with Hank who was explaining what the large transmitter was. Charles turned as he saw his sister stand on the top step and he smiled widely at her, walking back over to the steps and kissing her on the top of her head as she folded her arms and Raven stood beside her.

"So the signals should send the coordinates from Charles's brain and they should transmit onto this machine," Hank explained as Charles stood on the podium, looking at the large brain like helmet which was to go on his head and he touched it cautiously.

"What an adorable lab rat you make, Charles," Erik spoke, a grin on his face whilst Emma rolled her eyes and Charles silently told her to calm her mind.

"Don't spoil this for me, Erik."

"I was a lab rat once. I know one when I see one." He assured Charles as Emma stood in front of the bars and Erik stood beside her.

"You're not a lab rat," Emma assured her brother and Erik snorted out loud.

"Do you always have to argue with everything I say?" Erik wondered aloud, looking into her eyes as Raven rolled hers at Hank who was grinning.

"It depends," Emma drawled, "Do you always have to say the wrong thing?"

"Are you sure we can't shave your hair?" Hank interrupted and Charles glowered for a second.

"Don't touch my hair," he warned Hank, taking a firm stance and pushing his hands behind his back as he waited for the machine to crank up. Emma stood back as she heard Charles gasp out in a loud roar and Erik did the same thing.

"Is he okay?" Emma worried and Hank nodded as Charles suddenly began to smile, his teeth bared as he looked like a giddy child. Emma moved forward again, resting her hands onto the bar as Hank smiled along with Raven who was stood by him and watching what was happening.

"It is working," Hank said. "It is working."

...

"So what was wrong with you last night?" Erik's cold voice rang out as he moved to the grassed area behind the recreation room. He looked over the yawn at the large golf ball like transmitter before stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking down at Emma who was sat on the grass, a book held in her hands in the setting sun and cool air. She remained looking in the book, taking a deep breath to hold her temper.

"As I said," she drawled, "I would prefer for you to leave it alone."

Erik leant against the brick wall, one foot resting on the brickwork and his eyes looking at his hands, occasionally looking to peer in the book which she was reading.

"Whatever," he replied. "I was trying to be polite. I may have seemed curt."

Emma closed her book finally, looking up at Erik, her eyes slightly shut to avoid the sun which illuminated him.

"Charles sent you, didn't he?" she checked and Erik chuckled once.

"How did you know?"

"Because you're not the type of person to apologise to someone willingly," she snorted once, turning her book over in her hands and trying to find the page which she had just lost.

"It was page one hundred and twenty two," Erik told the young woman who bit down on her tongue and thought of an acceptable reply to what he had just said.

"Thanks," she whispered, pushing her hair behind her ears. "You don't need to stay. Your mission for Charles is complete."

"You're so presumptuous," Erik told her. "And stubborn too...you are the one who started this entire hatred thing against me."

"And you are the one who is completely curt and thinks they know best," she said, managing to stand up in her heels with slight grace as she pulled her dress down in her strop and Erik remained silent, his arms folded, the leather jacket covering his defined muscles. "You are also the one who could have gotten my brother killed."

"Are we back onto this?" Erik complained. "I seem to be able to get along with Raven quite easily."

"She's more laid back than me," Emma replied.

"I suppose you're right," Erik said and turned on his heel and looked back at the door back into the building. "But I've met corpses which aren't as uptight as you."

Emma began to fume, her face turning red as Erik walked off. She wasn't having him speak to her like that. He had no right at all. Emma rushed after him, stopping him before he reached the door by grabbing onto his arm and swatting him with her book. He looked down at her with narrowed eyes.

"Do not hit me," he warned her.

"Then do not talk to me like that," she replied snidely to him. "Who the hell do you think you are? You roll up here and you may have Charles agreeing with everything which you say bit I refuse to put up with your rubbish."

"And I refuse to listen to his brattish little sister who demands attention."

Emma felt like hitting him so much. She wanted to do nothing more than to wipe the smirk from his face and he knew it. She glared at him as he looked down at her.

"Maybe you should just leave me alone," he spoke.

"Do you intend to go away and leave Charles alone?" Emma replied harshly.

"Not as long as he can find Shaw."

"Then don't expect me to go anywhere," she replied, pushing past him with all her might and moving into the building. Erik remained stood still in his spot, looking at her as she passed him. He certainly knew he had a handful if she was going to be staying.

...

A/N: Thank you to anyone reading and everyone who has reviewed! Means a lot guys! So come on, review, please!


	6. Chapter 6

"I don't know what I am going to do with you," Charles exasperated after dinner that evening. Erik had informed them that he would be in his room if they needed him and he had left without another word. He didn't even want to eat dinner or socialise about the plan which Charles was to put in place in order to help find the mutants. Emma was sat on the bar stool next to Charles in the small kitchenette in the recreation room as Raven moved the dishes away from them. He had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows as his head was drooped into his hands and he managed to finally find out why Erik was being more broody than usual. Emma instantly jabbed herself in the chest, her eyes going wide as she looked at her brother.

"Me?" she asked him, her voice shrill as she spoke. "I am not the problem. Your precious Erik Lensherr is the problem. He can't keep talking to me like I am nothing but some stupid teenager!"

"Unfortunately that is how you sometimes come across, Emma," Charles said, managing to look into her eyes as she remained quiet, her teeth chewing her lip as Charles looked at her, his face stern yet apologetic at the same time. "He did try to be social with you this evening. Granted, I did ask him if it would be possible for you two to try and clear the air but I do not control him. You need to learn to be able to pleasant, Emma."

"He said he knew corpses who were less uptight than me!" Emma snapped and Raven managed to hold back a chuckle in her throat as she directed her attention into the soapy water and grinned at it instead. Charles's face turned slightly sombre, not finding it funny when he could see his sister was ready to blow.

"I know," Charles replied. "I admit that is not nice."

"It is rude," Emma hissed. "He is a rude, arrogant, self absorbed-"

"-I get the picture, my love," Charles assured his sister, a small smile playing on his features as Emma folded her legs and rested her elbow onto the bar, dropping her head into her hand as she continued to look at Charles. "Erik is not going anywhere and neither are you. I think it is clear to see that the two of you will never be friends but if this is to be the case then do try not to...well..."

"Antagonise each other?" Raven called out over her shoulder and Charles clicked his fingers in agreement with his sister.

"Exactly," he said and Emma groaned once, her hands falling onto the bar as she pushed herself down from the stool and stood up. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to bed," Emma declared. "I will see you in the morning."

"It is seven thirty," Charles replied, checking his watch quickly as his sister walked away and shrugged. Charles sighed again before Raven took Emma's vacant seat and they heard the shutting of the door.

"You know what she's like," Raven assured Charles. "She'll have her moment of immature bickering and then she'll realise that he's not worth it and leave it...she's like a dog with a bone."

"Don't let Emma hear you speak like that," Charles grinned as Raven smiled encouragingly at him and he stood up, resting his hand onto his sister's cheek, "she would kill you for referring to her and a dog in the same sentence."

"I'd just shift," Raven mused as Charles kissed her on the top of her head, "then she would never find me."

"Very clever," he praised his younger sibling.

...

"You two can either stay here or sit in the car when we find the first mutant," Charles informed his sisters the next afternoon. The pair of them was stood outside Division X as Charles told them of his plan. Erik was stood near the small lane where the car was waiting, his arms folded and gum in his mouth. Instead of his usual attire of a leather jacket and brown pants he was wearing a dark black suit, the purple handkerchief poking out of his pocket as his tie hung tightly against his frame. Emma had to admit that he looked like a different person. He almost looked like someone she would associate with.

"I could do with a road trip," Raven shrugged, pulling the grey belt around her coat tighter as she bounced up and down lightly, her face beaming after staying in bed until eleven that morning. Emma moved her shoulders up and down.

"I'm not fussed. If Raven wants to go then I will go," she said and Charles clapped his hands once.

"Excellent," he declared and then moved over to the car as Emma and Raven walked behind him.

"One question," the black haired girl began. "Why do we have to sit in the car?"

"Ah," Charles's mouth dropped for a second as Erik held the back door open for Raven to climb into and she smiled flirtatiously up at him which caused Emma to gag slightly as she waited for Charles to answer her question. "Well you see, the first mutant is a woman who...well...works in front of men...and she has the tendency to..."

"What he is trying to say," Erik interrupted, tired of Charles's rambling nonsense, "is that we are going to find the mutant who is a stripper. Do you have a problem with that?"

"I suppose if I can endure company from a man like you then a stripper should be no problem," Emma said, a sarcastic smile on her face as Charles pinched the bridge of his nose, shaking his head as Erik leant against the car door, his hands holding on to the top of the metal as he chewed his gum loudly.

"I thought you would consider yourself to be above her," Erik informed Emma.

"I do not think that about anyone-"

"-You certainly do-"

"-Unless they give me good reason to make me think it," Emma concluded after the pair of them had finished interrupting each other.

"Can you two please just sit in the car?" Charles suddenly snapped, his hand slicing the air with annoyance. "It is taking me all my patience to not control your minds."

...

"They've been in there a while," Emma commented as she slumped down in the back seat next to Raven who was patting her fingers against her bare thigh as she looked out the window.

"They are two men in a strip club," Raven murmured. "It doesn't take a genius to work out why they are being so long."

"Jesus," Emma complained, rolling her eyes as she did so and she looked at her sister, ever the face of innocence of her features. "I do hope not. They're going to look like sad men."

"It would have been weirder if we went in with them," Raven replied and Emma adjusted the short grey skirt which she wore as she rolled her eyes once again at her sister who glared at her.

"If you keep on moving your eyes back then they will get stuck looking into your head," she warned Emma who chuckled gently and went back to looking at the door to the club, waiting patiently to see Erik and Charles return.

"I saw how you looked at Erik earlier," Emma finally said what had been bothering her on the trip. She remained looking outside, not daring to look back at Raven as she told her what she had noticed. The blonde coughed lightly and went back to pushing her hair behind her ears. "The smile which you gave him was the one which Charles and I became accustomed to seeing at Oxford whenever you were on the hunt for a new boyfriend."

"He's a good looking man," Raven replied. "It is just harmless flirting, Emma. Just because I looked at him without wishing him dead doesn't mean I want to immediately begin sleeping with him."

"I do hope not," Emma said, turning back to look at her sister who was smiling into her lap and playing with a strand of hair, twirling it around her finger as she spoke shyly which was completely different to the way which Raven normally carried herself.

"Actually...it is Hank who has kind of...well...he's nice, isn't he?" Raven blathered on and Emma raised a brow, a playful smile on her face.

"Hank?" she checked and Raven nodded. "He's a sweet guy. I didn't know you liked him."

"Well I don't yet," Raven explained. "I just think he is nice and not like my usual type."

"You're right," Emma agreed with her. "He's certainly kind."

"Move," a sudden gruff voice demanded as the door opened and Emma looked up to see Erik stood there, his face showing a lack of patience as her brother resumed his position in the driving seat as he was the one who had been given permission to drive the vehicle. Emma noted Charles and a black haired woman climb into the front seat as she turned around and looked at the siblings in the back.

"Ask me nicely," Emma tormented him and Erik rolled his eyes, forcing his way into the back of the car as he pushed Emma into the middle seat, his body crushing hers as he moved and shoved her into Raven. "Well that wasn't asking pleasantly."

"Slipped my mind," Erik mumbled, slamming the door shut.

'_Why is he in the back?' _She silently asked her brother who pretended to be looking around the car to make sure it was safe as he placed his fingers to his temple.

'_Because our new recruit is slightly apprehensive and sticking her in the back with you and Raven would make her more nervous. Now be quiet and be nice.'_

"Hey, I'm Raven," the blonde introduced herself and the black haired woman in the front turned around and smiled once, trying to show signs of enthusiasm but failing, considering Charles and Erik hadn't told her much. "And this is Emma, my sister."

"Angel," she greeted them both.

"So what is your gift?" Emma wondered and Erik snorted next to her once.

"I thought it was self explanatory." He mumbled and Emma tried to awkwardly elbow him in the ribs and he chuckled at her pathetic attempt, going back to looking out the window as Charles drove.

"I can fly," Angel said cautiously, picking up on the atmosphere between the two in the back.

"Wow!" Raven exclaimed, seeming genuinely excited by the new revelation.

"So what can you do?" Angel replied.

"I can shape shift," Raven spoke and she then turned into her sister and Erik complained gently once again;

"Two of them."

Raven turned back as Emma held her tongue, Charles's silencing stare in the rear view mirror telling her not to bite the bait which Erik was feeding.

"I can't...well...I don't have a power," Emma explained. "I'm kind of just here for the trip."

"Much to my dismay." Erik spoke out loud again and Emma turned red but remained quiet, knowing that Charles was controlling her to do so.

...

Emma had gone back to her room in Division X that night absolutely fuming with Charles. He had no right to control her in the car so that she didn't upset his new best friend. And then she was annoyed with Erik. She was so annoyed that it was unreal. Their mutual hatred towards each other was beginning to take its toll. She couldn't sleep because she was so annoyed with him and so she lay in bed, tossing and turning, her head hitting the pillow and her hands doing the same with as much force. It wasn't until one in the morning when she heard moans coming from the room next to hers. Erik's room. She remained silent for a second as they continued and then she wondered about what he could be doing. There was only his voice and so that ruled out one thought running through her mind and she finally sat up, pushing herself from the white covers and standing up, walking to the wall and pressing her ear against the painted wall. He was still persisting in making a racket. Emma moved from her room and stood outside Erik's door in less than twenty steps. She pressed her hand onto the door handle and turned it. He had it locked. Emma muttered for a moment. Pulling the hairclip from her black curls she allowed them to fall down her back as she bent over, pushing the metal into lock and doing the trick which Charles had taught her. As soon as the door was open she looked into the dark room. He had fallen asleep on top of his covers and his body was curled protectively around itself as he continued shouting out lightly in his sleep. Emma closed the door behind her, moving to the bed and switching on the bedside lamp.

"Erik," she whispered his name, hoping that would be enough to wake him up. He continued his sleeping nightmare and she bent down by his bed, outstretching her hand and hitting him gently on the shoulder. "Erik!"

She allowed her hand to remain on his shoulder, shaking him gently and then she felt him suddenly awake. His own hand grabbed onto hers as he pulled her onto his bed, moving his other hand under his pillow to produce a silver object as he opened his eyes. Emma cursed loudly as she felt herself straddle his body and her vest top rode up slightly in the motion as Erik looked up at her, his face showing confusion and annoyance with her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snapped at her, the gun still pressed against her side as she snapped her hand from his.

"Why do you sleep with a gun?" she simply replied, untangling herself from him as he sat up. He wore a simple white top along with his sweat pants as he sat on the edge of the bed and she stood up. He dropped his gun by his side and pushed his hair from his face and he felt his face covered in sweat.

"What are you doing in here?" Erik asked her and she blinked quickly, her breathing still loud and deep from her sudden surprise.

"You were talking in your sleep...you were keeping me up...and why do you even have a gun?"

"Call it protection."

"Or lunacy."

"I locked the door." He told her, stopping their discussion of his gun.

"And I own a hairpin," she informed him. "Are you...well..."

Erik remained quiet, standing up and folding his arms and Emma sat the numbers tattooed on his arm, her eyes staring at them and unable to do anything but that. He followed her gaze and looked at the permanent reminder of his past.

"That's what keeps me up at night," he whispered and she managed to stop looking at the numbers and into his eyes. "Don't act concerned when all you are after is a quiet night sleep and I was disrupting that."

"Funnily enough I thought something bad was happening to you," Emma huffed back at him.

"I can look after myself."

"Whatever," Emma replied. "I'll just go back to my room."

"You do that," Erik said, clearly still distraught from the nightmare which had occupied his thoughts and Emma looked back at him as he looked at the gun by his side and she moved over to the door.

"I'll see you in the morning, Erik," she said, trying to be civil to him when she could see he was in pain. He looked at her for a second, wondering her manners towards him had come from and then he realised she pitied him. She pitied him for being so weak and showing his emotion to his nightmare. He didn't need her pity. But he didn't snap back at her. He didn't want a fight after what he had just relived.

"Goodnight, Emma."

...

A/N: All you guys who reviewed last night and yesterday thank you so, so much! More to come soon so I do hope that you will keep reading and your thoughts are always nice so please do review! Thanks!


	7. Chapter 7

"Raven has made pancakes for breakfast," Charles informed his sister when she opened her door to him the next morning. After quickly showering and changing into her mini black skirt and tucking her white blouse into it, her flat black shoes on her feet she had heard a knock on the door. She looked at her brother through narrowed eyes as he closed her door for a moment and she began to make the bed.

"Don't think that I forgive you," Emma informed Charles and he raised a brow, his eyes going wide and his hands moving behind his back, clasping together.

"I didn't think you would have," he admitted with her. "But think logically, Emma, you and Erik arguing would have scared Angel and at the moment we need as many mutants as possible."

"But he was being mean!" Emma whined and Charles had to resist the urge to tell her that she sounded like a little three year old who was bickering in the playground with a friend. "And I couldn't say anything back to him because you were controlling me! I'm your sister, Charles. You can't do that when it suits you."

"I'm sorry," Charles said to her genuinely, his eyes looking like that of a lost puppy as he stared at his sister. "I'm sorry for controlling you, Emma. I know I shouldn't do it often but you need to understand that you can't bicker with Erik over every little thing."

"I know that," Emma snapped at Charles. "I just can't help it. He winds me up so much, Charles."

"He informed me that you were rather amiable last night," Charles said to her and she raised a brow at him, puffing up her pillow and dropping it down on the end of her bed.

"He told you what happened?" Emma asked, surprised that he would even mention what happened considering he was so private and kept himself to himself. Telling someone about a nightmare was like admitting he had a weakness and Erik wasn't one to be weak.

"He did," Charles spoke. "Although no thought is safe for him so I had to drag it out of him."

Emma chuckled and nodded, reaching for her black blazer and shrugging into it.

"Sounds more like Erik," she spoke to Charles and he grinned gently.

"So can we please forget these little incidents?" Charles enquired. "I would like to be able to find the rest of the mutants without worrying about you two mauling each other to death."

"I'll be good as long as he is," Emma promised her brother, moving over to the door, pulling her black curls from under her collar as she moved and Charles followed her, not even bothering to think about trying to get Erik to behave.

...

"Are you coming or not, Emma?" Charles asked Emma as they prepared to go and find the cab driver and Emma looked back at Raven and Angel who were in the recreation room, discussing clothes and fashion together. Raven had said she would stay with Angel at Division X to keep her company and so Emma had the chance to either go with her brother and Erik or to stay with Raven. The latter option seemed much more preferable than the first. Emma bit her lip gently and crossed her ankles as she looked back at Raven.

"I'll stay with Raven and Angel," she shrugged. "You'll be back soon though, won't you?"

Charles chuckled, resting his hands onto his sister's shoulders before kissing her on the top of her head quickly.

"I know there is only so much girl talk which you can endure," he said to her and she looked at him gratefully. "I shall be back in a day or so."

"I'll see you later then," Emma said, urging Charles to go as she saw Erik stood behind him, his face showing impatience and boredom as he looked onto the siblings.

"Look after them," he said to her and she nodded once. She was basically the same age as them so she didn't know why she needed to look after them. But then she remembered Raven and her careless habits and she thought that maybe Angel had the same trait considering how they were getting along swimmingly.

"I will," she promised and Charles began walking to the door.

"I shall see you later, Raven," he called out to the young blonde who managed to stop talking to Angel and turn back to look at Charles.

"Bye!" she shouted out to him and they took off. Emma remained quiet as she looked at the door shut and then began to wonder about what to do with her time alone. Ever since Moira MacTaggert had entered their local pub life had been hectic and now it had stopped for a day. She placed her hands onto her hips and sighed gently, hearing Raven and Emma talk about boys and she quickly left the room.

...

"Your sister never told me why she was crying that night," Erik said to Charles, the two men stood on the sidewalk and looking out for the mutant cabdriver who they knew would be in their area soon. Charles stuffed his hands into his pockets as Erik folded his arms, his sunglasses hiding his eyes and any emotion which he had. Charles looked up to him for a moment and then back onto the street.

"It isn't really common knowledge," Charles muttered. "I don't think anyone knows about that nightmare apart from Raven and I. She didn't even tell her ex boyfriend and the two of them were close until the end."

"She managed a relationship?" Erik asked; mock surprise in his voice as he looked at Charles who did not look one little bit impressed before he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back into its right place. "Sorry."

"Damon and Emma were extremely close at one point," Charles informed Erik. "She doesn't like to talk about him either."

"We have time to kill," Erik shrugged, chewing on his gum loudly as his eyes continued to gaze onto the road and Charles chuckled once.

"I don't think I am at liberty to say," he admitted. "I don't even see why you are interested considering you hate her so much."

"Because you know everything about me and I am guessing you shared that information with her," Erik said, looking at Charles who bit his lip once and looked at the ground.

"I simply told Emma to leave you be due to your past. She wasn't being fair on you," Charles said and Erik snorted once.

"I don't want anyone judging me on what happened in the camps," he hissed once. "If she hates me then I don't want my past to change her opinion because she thinks it has to."

"It is a large secret, Erik," Charles simply informed him. "Emma...she saw something as a little child which no one should have to see..."

"I'm not going to push you, Charles," Erik assured him. "I was just curious as to what had gotten the stone creature so upset."

"If you weren't my friend then I would have to play the defensive brother, Erik," he warned him and Erik couldn't help but grin.

"Does that involve punching me for insulting your sister?" he wondered aloud and Charles mused for a moment, wondering if he had it in him to do that to Erik. "You can think about that...I think this is our guy."

...

"Do you always tend to sit out here and read?" Erik wondered the following day as he found the young Xavier sat on the grass with her book in her hands. She was laid on her stomach, avoiding her eyes from being directly in line with the sunlight as Erik stood above her, his shadow towering over her body.

"I like the peace," she murmured. _'So that is your cue to bog off.' _She spoke in her head, remembering Charles's plea for her to try and get along with Lensherr. Erik settled himself down on the ground, his arms pushed out behind him and supporting his weight as he basked in the sun. Emma managed to peer up at him as he looked to the sky and she then returned to her book.

"I didn't say thank you to you the other night," Erik spoke quietly and Emma finally dropped her book from her hands and it shut on the ground quickly. She huffed as she picked it up, flicking through the paper pages.

"It was page three hundred and seven," Erik murmured to her.

"Why are you thanking me?" she wondered aloud. "Can I have it written down on paper to record this monumental moment?"

"Don't ruin it with your sarcasm," Erik warned her. "I'm trying to be pleasant. Civil at least anyway."

"So why are you thanking me?"

"For waking me the other night," he shrugged, shrugging out of his leather jacket and throwing it to his side, leaving him in a white polo shirt and his brown pants. "I suppose your intentions were...nice...if that's the word."

"You can use that word if you want," Emma shrugged. "It seemed like a bad dream."

"Bad is an understatement," Erik mumbled, "but then again, you'd know all about bad dreams."

She looked at him again, folding her page as she did so and she raised a brow as he refused to look her in the eye, instead he remained studying the sky.

"Charles told you, didn't he?" she snapped. "He tried to comfort you by telling you that I have the same problem."

"He didn't tell me what it was about," Erik assured her, not wanting to get his friend into trouble.

"Good," she muttered.

"He also mentioned that you had managed a relationship," Erik spoke again and Emma finally sat up, bending her knees and resting her bum on her heels as she did so.

"Did he basically give you my whole life story?" she wondered and Erik grinned from behind his sunglasses at her.

"No," he spoke. "I was just curious as to why you were running and crying for Charles the other night."

"I could swear that we have had this discussion multiple times, Erik," she drawled. "It really is none of your business but if you are so intent in finding out what I dreamt about then I will tell you."

Erik watched as she flushed red. She looked drained and tired, her eyes showing emotional pain and her body tense as Erik remained silent, too intrigued by her to do anything other than that.

"I found my father hanging dead in our family greenhouse when I was eleven years old and I have nightmares about it too often for my liking," she stopped for a moment, waiting for his reaction but he didn't move. He didn't even look disturbed about what she had said. And then she remembered that he had lived during the war in a concentration camp. He was surely accustomed to much worse sights. "And then there is the case of Damon. My ex boyfriend I refused to sleep with and so he took up with someone who was much more willing. Does that answer all of your questions?"

Emma quickly stood up, bending down to pick her book up before pushing her hair behind her ears and rushing to the door. As she placed her hand on it to push it open she heard his voice call out to her, soft and calm as if what he said was so simple. He said it without any emotion at all. He could have been asking her to pass him the salt with more hatred that what he had said.

"I watched my mother being shot in front of me."

Emma remained still, her hand resting on the door and her lip quivering as blood surged around her body and she waited for him to say something further to her. She couldn't physically bring herself to look at him and see him staring at her. The intensity of his gaze was already felt burning through the back of her head.

"We all have a history."

Emma pushed the door open, moving back into Division X and moving a small droplet of water from the corner of her eye as she rushed into the corridors, searching for her room quickly. Erik stood outside in the cool breeze, wondering why he had just told her that. He couldn't stand her one little bit. He couldn't stand her standoffish attitude or the way she always held her nose in the air, acting like she was better than anyone. But he had just shared his darkest secret with her. He couldn't place his finger on it.

...

"You look flustered," Charles informed his sister at dinner that evening. Raven and Angel had been whipping something up in the kitchen as they spoke with Darwin, trying to be accustomed to living in such close conditions even though they were all strangers. Emma had been stuck in her room, thinking about what she had just shared with Erik before she realised she should go for dinner before Charles found out something was wrong.

"I just had a brisk walk here," she shrugged, smiling encouragingly at her brother and he remained silent, not believing her at all. "I'm fine, Charles. You don't need to look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"That face...the concerned 'I really know what's going on here' face," she explained, moving past him and into the kitchen. "It doesn't become you."

"Em!" Raven exclaimed when she saw her sister. "Where have you been hiding all day?"

"I've been reading and I lost track of time," she lied, sniffing the air quickly as she did so. "It smells good anyway."

"Sunday Roast," Raven said as Angel began to quickly place things onto plates and Darwin helped her. The pair of them seemed to be getting on well if no one else was. "I thought that with us being so far from Oxford then we could bring Oxford here."

"Good idea," Emma nodded and Raven looked down at her sister before whispering;

"And I know Charles is homesick slightly."

"Aren't we all?" Emma asked rhetorically before hearing her name being called out from the kitchenette doorway.

"Emma," Erik said deeply and the girl in question and Raven turned to look at him for a moment as he stood there with his arms by his side. "Can I have a word?"

And then he turned on his heel and quickly walked from the recreation room. Raven looked at her sister for a moment, her eyes wide as she wondered what was going on.

"Why does he want to talk to you?" she wondered.

"Maybe because I'm just that much of a social being?" Emma asked her sarcastically and Raven snorted, hearing the timer go off which distracted her attention.

"Okay then," she said with as much sarcasm as her sister and Emma followed Erik's trail to the courtyard outside the recreation room. She folded her arms in the cool night air, shivering slightly as she raised a brow at the metal bender.

"What I told you," he began, "is classified information."

"The feeling is mutual," she admitted.

"Good," Erik nodded quickly. "I don't know why I told you. Maybe your annoying attitude made it slip out...I don't know."

"I thought you were trying to be civil to me?" she wondered and Erik snorted.

"Trying being the chosen word," he mumbled. "I just want it to be clear that this information stays between us."

"I wouldn't have it any other way...well I would...I wouldn't have told you but you pushed me too far," she shrugged, running a hand through her hair as she tried not to get mad with him again and he nodded at her.

"You'd best be getting back in," Erik said to her, seeing Raven peering out the window in the most conspicuous fashion which she could manage and Emma turned around to see the same thing, catching her sister's eye. Raven blinked quickly and pretended to be preoccupied as Emma rolled her own eyes and Erik itched the back of his neck. "I think dinner is ready."

"Are you not joining us?" Emma wondered, her voice suddenly soft and Erik looked at her for a moment. She was so small and her petite frame made her so vulnerable. Why did Charles bring her with him? Surely he didn't think that she would be safe from a man like Shaw? She needed constant protection. Erik shook his head at her.

"I need to go and look some things up," he mumbled back to her. "I'll see you later."

Emma turned on her heel and walked back into the recreation room as Erik remained stood to the spot, watching her leave before he shook his head, removing the thoughts he had about her arse from his mind.

...

A/N: Thank you very, very much to all of my reviewers! I am so glad you are liking it as much as I love writing it! Reviews are welcome as always! So please do leave me your opinion! Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

"What makes you think that they will even be ready for Shaw?" Erik asked after he and Charles had shown Sean to the recreation room where their pool of new recruits were lounging around. He had been the last one they had managed to find, after having a hasty decision from another man they found at a bar. Charles knew he couldn't win them all. Erik and he walked down the corridors, making their way towards to the meeting which was currently in place between Agent MacTaggert and her bosses regarding a trip to the Soviet Union.

"They're impeccable people, Erik," Charles spoke loud and clear, moving his hand into his pocket as he continued his movement alongside his dear friend, a small smile on his face as he thought about the minds which he had touched. "I think they are ready. Be sure not to underestimate them."

"Charles!" a voice suddenly exclaimed the telepath's name and he stopped for a moment, turning around. Erik took one stride in front of him before doing the same as his friend and his features remained stern looking as the youngest Xavier stood before her brother. "The others are wondering about what is going to happen. They want to know if they are going to the Defence Ministers home with you."

"I'm not even sure if we are going yet," Charles shrugged gently at his sister. "I think our chances are quite good considering from what I've read from the agent's minds. We are waiting for Moira to come out and give us the verdict and then we will decide what will happen, okay?"

"Hey," Emma raised her hands up in defence, "it isn't me who is wondering about this stuff."

"Come on," Erik grunted. "Moira should nearly be finished."

Erik began to resume his walking down the corridor as Charles and Emma exchanged a look at each other and they then continued following Erik down the corridor, a silent conversation occurring between the pair of them as they moved.

'_I see you and Erik had a little chat last night.'_

'_I think you should stop looking into my mind. It really isn't nice.'_

'_I looked into Erik's actually.'_

Emma looked at him before he stuck his tongue out at her and she rolled her eyes at him, nodding at what he had just said, assuring him that the two of them had made their peace. They were being civil if nothing else.

As soon as the three of them neared the meeting room they saw Moira exit, a small smile on her face as she nodded briefly, and not needing to explain any further what was going to happen.

"My bosses would like a brief word with you two though," she told Charles and Erik specifically. Emma knew when she was being dismissed and it seemed that was the time.

"I'll go and see the others," she informed Charles who followed Moira into the room. Emma made her return to the recreation room, running a hand through her hair in worry. They were possibly going up against one of the most powerful mutants to even grace the earth. Of course she was worried. She was worried for Charles and Raven. The two of them were no cowards and she knew that, but her on the other hand, well, she was most certainly not one of the bravest souls when it came to actual fights. Pushing the thoughts aside, she opened the door to the lounge, expecting to be greeted by sets of eyes, inquiring whether she had managed to find anything out. But the reality was indeed much different. Emma's eyes went wide, her eyebrows almost moving from her forehead as she heard the music from the jukebox.

"What the hell is going on?" she snapped as they all continued doing their own thing but making as much noise as possible. The window pane was completely smashed and the courtyard was in no better state. "I was gone for ten minutes," she whispered. "Ten minutes and they managed to do this."

Suddenly Shaw didn't seem like much of an obstacle considering the amount of mess which these teenagers had made. Darwin was stood closest to the window, his upper body made from stone as he commanded Sean and Alex to hit him harder and the boys obeyed his every word. Hank was hanging from the pipe on the ceiling whilst Raven danced around on the sofa, Angel fluttering by her.

"Hank!" Emma barked, appealing to the smart Doctor as he looked at her. "Get down from there!"

He did as he was asked instantaneously, his hands clasping together as he found his shoes and socks. Emma made her way over to Raven who was smiling down at her.

"Get off of the sofa, Raven," she spoke sternly to her younger sister who did nothing but roll her eyes.

"Live a little," she appealed as a large bang noise was heard and Emma's head whipped around quickly, her eyes focusing in on Alex before she spoke up again;

"Put down the baseball bat, Alex!" she commanded and he did stop hitting Darwin with the tool but it remained in his hands. "And don't even think about picking up the chair, Sean!"

"What is going on here?" a more commanding and authoritarian voice yelled out whilst Emma grabbed onto her sister, trying to haul her off of the sofa as Angel landed behind them. "Who destroyed the statue?"

"Alex!" Hank quickly accused and the blonde remained silent and Raven finally moved forwards, her eyes still gleaming as if what they had done was the absolute norm.

"No," she said quickly. "We have to call him Havok now. We're CIA agents so we need codenames. We were thinking you could be Professor X," she pointed at her brother and then looked at Erik, the finger moving in his direction. "And you should be Magneto."

Emma groaned gently so that no one was to hear her and she caught Charles's eye before he looked back at Raven, the disappointment clear on his face as Erik's mouth dropped open, his teeth bared and his face showing a look of extreme disbelief.

"Exceptional," he informed them, clearly not meaning the word which had fallen from his lips.

"I expected more from you," Charles spoke directly to Raven who instantly looked like a lost child. Her eyes lost their spark and her smile dropped from her face. Instead she looked as if she was about to burst into tears any moment. "Emma. A word."

Emma gently squeezed Raven's hand as she passed the blonde girl and followed her brother as he walked around the corner behind Erik. Moira climbed over the broken window as Emma climbed out of it. She heard MacTaggert yelling loudly at the mutants, explaining that it was not their property to destroy.

"I seriously tried to stop them," she instantly began her defence, not wanting Charles to look at her in the same way which he done Raven. He nodded once, not managing to smile at her as he did so.

"I know," he promised. "I need you to make sure nothing gets out of control again whilst we are gone."

"When are you going?"

"Now," Charles curtly replied. "We should be back in a day or two so don't worry."

"You honestly think that I can control a group of mutants?"

"You're bossy enough," Erik piped up, folding his arms and looking at the dark haired girl as he spoke. She looked at him and he raised a brow, his shoulders hastily moving up and down.

"I mean that in a good way," he assured her and she pursed her lips, turning back to Charles and not retaliating to Erik as his eyes silently pleaded with her.

"Just do your best?"

"I will," she promised him. "Can you at least talk to Raven before you go?"

Charles took his turn to push his lips together, his eyes looking onto the statue dismantled in the courtyard as Emma placed a hand onto his arm.

"Please?" she pleaded with him. "You know she is our sister, Charles. She was devastated when you snapped at her."

"She should have known better," Erik hissed through his clenched teeth and Emma turned to look up at him again.

"They're kids, Erik," she replied hastily. "They thought they weren't doing anything bad...I think they just wanted to see each other's powers and it got out of hand."

"If they're going to behave like this then they stand no chance against Shaw, do they?" Erik asked her and she remained silent, knowing that he was right as he spoke to her and finally dragged his eyes to Charles. "I told you they aren't ready for this, Charles. They need to be trained before they can face him."

"They're staying here," Charles decided. "I can see that they are not ready...I understand that..."

"So will you please go and talk to Raven?"

"Yes," Charles said, moving off in the other direction. He couldn't bear a frosty attitude with any of his siblings and if speaking with Raven would appease them both then he knew that it needed to be done. Emma smiled gratefully as she and Erik watched him walk away.

"You need to make sure they behave," Erik suddenly informed Emma and she snorted once at his comment.

"Do you think I would endorse any other behaviour that that?" Emma wondered.

"You're a kid yourself," he shrugged at her and her cheeks tinted red, a colour on her which Erik had become accustomed to seeing.

"I am twenty one!" she exclaimed.

"So is Darwin," he reminded her. "Just remember that you need to look after them."

"Yes boss," Emma said sarcastically before walking off down the corridor and back to the recreation room. Erik remained staring at her as she walked away from him and he popped a piece of gum into his mouth. He didn't want the mutants to cause any more trouble and he had to make sure Emma knew that. She seemed to be the only sensible one around.

...

"Hey big foot!" a yell was heard as it entered the recreation room. "Show us the feet!"

Emma moved from her spot in the kitchenette where she had been making a hot chocolate and looked on as the two agents stood at the window, taunting the mutants inside. She had to make sure that they didn't retaliate, knowing what Alex was like but Hank took the situation into his hands, shutting the curtains on them so they could hear no more.

"Coincidence," Sean's sudden voice spoke out beside Emma as she stood to the back of the room, looking as Angel and Raven spoke.

"What?" she wondered, holding the mug in her hands, allowing its warmth to heat her cold fingers.

"You like hot chocolate. I like hot chocolate," he spoke to her, his hands in his jeans pockets as he rocked back and forth on his heels. "Why don't we get a hot chocolate together some time and talk about the French cuisine."

Emma looked at him for a second, wondering if he had actually used a chat up line on her. His face told her that was a yes. She did her best not to burst out laughing.

"Oh, Sean," she sighed once, shaking her head and walking over to Darwin as Sean stood back, wondering what on earth was so funny.

"You're in charge here, Darwin. I'm going to bed," she spoke and he nodded at her.

"No problem."

Emma walked over to the sofa, standing behind it and gently ruffling Raven's blonde hair as her sister tilted her head back to look up at her.

"I'll see you in the morning," Emma said.

"No problem," Raven replied. "Goodnight."

...

It was only after Emma had changed into her grey sweatpants and white vest top did she hear the noise of a loud bang. She closed the book on her bed and finished taking a swig of her hot chocolate before she began to wonder what the loud noise was. Pushing herself off of the mattress she opened her door, looking out into the corridor to see if she could see any sign of life but there was nothing. She wasn't an idiot though. She could tell something was not quite right. Pushing her hair into a ponytail by using the bobble on her wrist she stormed through the corridors, looking for an agent or a mutant. Anyone to assure her that nothing was wrong.

"Stay back!"

"We can help!"

Sudden shouts were heard and her breath hitched, her heart rate speeding up a level as she began to run down the corridor, her motions taking her to where the commotion was coming from. As she neared the recreation room she finally found a man who was walking towards her from the opposite direction in the labyrinth of Division X. He wore a grey suit along with a red tie but that was not the most fascinating thing. That had to be the helmet which occupied his head as he strode towards her quickly. She began to panic, thinking about running back to her room but it was too late.

"You must be one of the more evolved people," he said to her and she looked worried for a moment, wondering what he was even talking about as he spoke to her.

"What?" she replied. "Who are you?"

"Sebastian Shaw," he greeted; a sinister smile on his face as he suddenly remember his own telepath talking about a girl who matched her description. The telepath on board had two travelling with him apparently. "And you must be Emma Xavier. The human."

Emma didn't even know what to say to him as he chuckled gently, grabbing onto her bare arm with his tight hold and moving down the corridor with her as he approached the recreation room. Emma struggled in his grasp; wanting to do nothing more than escape from his cold touch.

"You need to leave them alone!" she snapped at him quickly. "They've done nothing to you!"

"I don't intend to hurt the mutants," Shaw gently laughed. "It is the humans I have no time of day for so thank yourself lucky that I haven't killed you straight away."

Emma gulped once as the guards to the lounge dropped their guns and she looked at them, wondering what they were doing as they pleaded with Shaw to let the normal people leave. Apparently he didn't like cowardice in humans either as Emma watched with amazement at him shooting them with bullets moving from his skin.

"I absorb energy," he simply informed her. "You can keep that as a warning."

As soon as they entered the room Emma looked out for Raven, hoping that she wasn't hurt. She found her instantly, Hank defending her as he stood in front of her and then Emma noted a red creature stood one side and then another man with long black hair stood on the other side.

"Is the telepath brother not here?" Shaw asked Emma as he motioned for the red creature to come closer to him which he did.

"No," Emma whispered.

"Too bad," Shaw complained for a second. "Take hold of her, Azazel...and...use the tail...Good evening. My name is Sebastian Shaw and I am not here to hurt you."

Azazel seemed to understand the completely hidden message as he grabbed onto Emma's arm, pulling her to him as she fought against him. She instantly knew better as he raised the red tail he owned and pressed its sharp point against her throat.

"No!" Raven suddenly shouted. "Leave her alone!"

"She's not who I am after," Shaw assured the blonde. "I just haven't decided what to do with the filthy human. There is a revolution on the way, my friends."

"Where mankind discovers who we are and what we can do," he pointed to himself, moving closer to the group of mutants as he spoke. All of their eyes looked at him, some with hatred and some with intrigue. "You can either join us. But make no mistake; you are either with us, or, by definition against us. So choose wisely...you can join us and live like kings...and queens..."

His speech didn't seem to affect anyone as the group remained united, no one moving for a moment until Shaw outstretched his hand and then they had their first mover. Angel took hold of his pale fingers as she followed him to the broken window.

"Angel," Raven spoke, her voice showing clear disappointment as Angel turned back to look at them.

"Come on," she urged them, "we don't belong here and that is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Wait," Darwin suddenly called out. "I'm coming with you."

Emma's mouth then hung open, unable to believe that Darwin would do anything like what he was claiming to do. The explanation as to what he could do was brief as Shaw smiled, needing someone like him on his side as he patted him on the back.

"Alex!" Darwin suddenly yelled.

"Get down!" the blonde snapped and he suddenly balled his hands into fists, moving his body as red rings flew out of him, spinning through the air and going straight for Shaw as Darwin held Angel in his arms, pulling her out the way. But there was nothing. There was no destruction of anything from the young Havok as they all failed to believe what they were seeing. He had absorbed the rings as if he had caught a Frisbee.

"Protecting your fellow mutants," Shaw spoke, shaking himself down. "Very noble. Azazel, now if you will."

Emma wondered what that meant as she heard Shaw speak to Darwin but she was too busy worrying to her safety. And she supposed she had every right to do that. She felt the red creature turn her in his arms, and she tried to make her move but before anything was able to be comprehended a stabbing pain moved into her side. Gasping quickly, the red creature released her from his hold and she stumbled back, looking at him as he grinned in achievement.

"Emma!" Raven shouted out, rushing to her sister in time to catch her as her legs began to give out. Holding her gently, she pressed her hand onto the wound whilst Emma looked up at her. "You're going to be okay."

Emma used her own hand to move onto the red spot soaking her white vest top, lifting her hand up and seeing it covered in blood. And that was enough to make her pass out.

...

A/N: Cliffy! Thanks to my reviewers! And please let me know what you think! Ta!


	9. Chapter 9

They always say that you know when something has happened to someone close to you. Twins are able to know in an instant. It is almost like a sixth sense. And that was exactly what Charles experienced as soon as he and Erik had passed Emma Frost over to the CIA. A shot of coldness ran up his spine, causing him to shiver gently with intrigue and sudden worry. Erik finally released his vice like grip on Frost and noted his friend make the movement. His intrigue suddenly piqued as Charles closed his eyes for a millisecond and then looked at Erik who had his brow raised in suspicion.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern not evident in his voice but in interest showing.

"I'm not sure," Charles admitted to the metal bender. "Have you ever had a bad feeling at all? As in...well...I don't know how to explain it."

"Like someone has walked over your grave?" Erik asked, trying to contrast what Charles had just felt and the telepath clicked his fingers quickly, his head nodding as he did so.

"But it isn't my grave."

"I'm sure you're worrying about nothing," Erik shrugged lightly, his eyes then following Frost as the agents cuffed her and she managed a small smile, not looking too bothered about what was happening to her. Erik felt his blood turn warm as he watched the other telepath glance back and shoot him a slight grin, trying to annoy him further. "We'll go back to the Division and then worry about Shaw's worldwide domination."

...

"You're a doctor!" Raven snapped at Hank as Emma passed out in her hold. She pushed her hair from her face, looking onto the paleness as Alex removed his jacket, screwing it into a ball and pressing it against the bleeding which was taking place in the young woman. Hank looked at Raven, seeing her cry and visibly traumatised as he stuttered around.

"I'm not a medical doctor," he informed her, still standing back slightly as Sean took the initiative to try and find a working phone in the Division to dial for an ambulance. Raven cried gently, a loud sob moving through her body as she looked up to Hank.

"You're the smartest one here," she informed him. "Surely you know...we can't leave her...Hank..."

And then Hank made his move, realising she was right. He had graduated Harvard at the age of fifteen, of course he was smart. He knew what needed to be done vaguely from some biology lesson which he had taken. But the practical side to it was a lot different than using a dummy like what normally happened in class. He fell to his knees at the side of her body, his hands hovering over her as he took the jacket from Alex, holding it up for a moment to look at the wound.

"It doesn't seem very deep," he coughed out. "I can't really tell because of the blood."

"Is that good?" Raven wondered, wanting some comfort that her sister would be alright. She managed to look at Hank, her tear stained blue orbs looking into his as he bit his lip for a moment.

"It is better than it being a deep wound," he assured Raven. "Although internal bleeding is the main problem which needs to be looked at and then if it pierced any of her organs...well..."

"Oh God," Raven sighed whilst Hank continued to press down on her wound and Alex stood up, his hands running through his hair as Sean ran back into the room, his cheeks red with the amount of running which he had just done as he looked at the scene and puffed for breath.

"The ambulance...on the way..."

"How long?" Raven replied and Sean looked puzzled for a second before he spoke out.

"Ten minutes to fifteen tops," he spoke and Raven held onto Emma's hand, squeezing it tightly and hoping that she could hear her.

"Stay with me, Emma," she demanded. "You are not leaving me. Do you understand? I need you...and so does Charles...just don't go."

...

Charles sat beside Erik in the private waiting area of the Moscow airport as they waited for their private plane to leave its station and refuel in order to take them back to the States. Charles was sat tightly as Erik sipped on a brandy which had been provided to him and he watched as Charles shuffled in his seat. He had been unable to settle down ever since he had thought that he had felt a bad feeling. Erik thought he was overreacting and letting his imagination run away with him. That was until he saw Moira walking towards them, her face showing a large amount of concern as she moved over to them.

"Charles!" she exclaimed and he jumped up from his seat, unbuttoning his suit jacket which he had changed into when he saw her and she stood before him. "Shaw attacked the Division."

"What?" Charles snapped at her quickly. "He...what happened?"

"He was trying to recruit them," Erik deduced, not needing to be told what he was doing there as Moira nodded quickly, trying to get to the point which she knew would almost kill Charles.

"Angel went," she simply said to the matter. "The other's stayed."

"Was anyone hurt?" Charles enquired and Moira remained silent for a moment, wondering what to say to him as she looked into his eyes and he looked back into hers, impatience becoming him as he watched her. "Please do not make me read your mind, Moira."

"Emma was hurt, Charles," she decided to say. "Raven said there was the red creature which I saw that night at the Hellfire Club and he had a pointed tail...he used it...he...he stabbed her, Charles."

Charles remained quiet, his blood suddenly turning cold as he watched Moira, unable to say anything in response to what he had been told, words not seeming to be coherent in his mind. Erik remained silent for a second. He knew she was vulnerable. She needed protecting and the teenage mutants were not good enough to do that for her. He coughed for a second before asking the questions;

"Is it bad?"

"Raven said they are at the hospital right now and she is having surgery. They had to use CPR to get her heart going again because she had lost too much blood but that is all Raven knows."

"At least she is breathing," Erik said, resting a hand onto Charles's shoulder as a lump moved into the telepath's throat. "She's breathing, Charles. She has Raven with her. She has to be fine. She's at the hospital."

...

Charles sat on the plane to the back by himself, playing the brooding man part instead of Erik for a change. The metal bender took a seat next to Moira as he left Charles to his own thoughts, knowing that nothing that he could say to him would make the pain he was feeling go away. Charles remained silent, his fingers pressed to his temple as he tried to find her. He knew she was too far away to communicate with. He needed Cerebro to touch her mind. His fingers were pressed firmly against his head as he did all he could to find where she was. And then it worked.

'_Emma...Emma...it is me...Charles...can you hear me?'_

Charles waited for a moment, speaking into her mind and waiting for her to respond to his question. His heart was in his mouth as the silence began to take its toll on him. The silence was becoming too much for him.

'_Charles?'_

He recognised that tone anywhere. Her voice rang through his head as he settled back in his chair, beginning to concentrate harder than he ever had as he closed his eyes and waited to respond back to her.

'_It's me, my love...I'm here.'_

'_What's happening, Charles? I can't open my eyes or move my body.'_

'_You will be fine, darling. You need to believe me. Do you remember what has just happened?'_

'_Shaw attacked, Charles. I know that. Did he hurt anyone?'_

'_No. All of the mutants are fine.'_

'_Oh God. Am I dead, Charles?' _her voice in his head way hysteric as she thought back to him and he gulped once and shook his head.

'_No. Do not talk like that, Emma. You are in surgery, okay?'_

'_It was that red thing, wasn't it?'_

'_Yes it was, my darling. But don't worry. You are in the hospital now and that is the safest place for you, okay?'_

'_I'll be okay, won't I?'_

'_You're strong, Emma. I don't see any reason for you to give up. Do you understand me?'_

'_You'll stay with me...won't you?'_

'_I'm not going anywhere.'_

...

"What on earth is Charles doing?" Moira wondered to no one in particular as she peered around, looking to the back of the plane where Charles was sat, his face screwed up in concentration as he spoke with Emma in his mind. Erik was pretending to be asleep as he sat next to Moira. She had spent the first five minutes berating him about his behaviour at the mansion earlier. Apparently he could have started World War Three singlehandedly. He had smirked at that which had earned him another telling off about how this situation they found themselves in was not funny at all. He remained sat there with his eyes shut, wondering about how Emma was doing for some reason. He shouldn't care. Caring was not something which he intended to do. He couldn't get close to her or anyone else. Charles had breached his defences, making himself a friend. But what Erik felt towards his sister was anything but friendliness. It was something he couldn't explain.

...

"You need to calm down, Raven," Hank told the teenager. There had been room for two to go to the hospital with Emma and Raven had been the obvious contender. Hank had also gone, considering he was the one who had been attending to the young woman. "Emma wouldn't want to see you so upset."

"I don't know what else I can do," Raven wailed gently, standing in the clinical area beside Hank as he managed to place a hand onto her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. They had been at the hospital for what seemed like hours. They didn't know how long they had been there but they knew that Charles should not be taking so long to rejoin them.

"Raven Xavier," a sudden voice called out into the waiting room and the blonde rushed up to the blonde who had shouted her name, biting tensely on her nails as she moved.

"Yes...that's me..." she exclaimed. "How is she?"

"She's stable," the nurse declared, looking onto the chart as she did so. "She's awake and asking for you. There was no internal bleeding or organ damage but the scar will take a while to heal. She should be able to leave hospital tomorrow if she promises to rest and change the dressing often."

"Yes," Raven nodded quickly. "I'll make sure...that's fine..."

"Well if you want to follow me then I can take you to see her," the nurse smiled and Raven did that quite happily. Hank nervously walked behind her, not wanting to be left behind. The nurse left the door open to Emma's room, allowing Raven and Hank to enter the ward where Emma was near the window. She was sat up in the bed, a hospital gown on her body and her face pale, her hair matted to her head. Raven smiled widely at her as she sat down on the chair beside the bed and took her hand into her own, giving it a quick squeeze.

"How are you feeling?" Raven asked.

"Not too bad considering my heart stopped beating a few hours ago," Emma informed her and Raven shook her head, pushing her free hand through her blonde hair.

"You scared the crap out of me, Emma."

"I would say sorry but I don't think it is my fault I was stabbed," she joked back with her and Raven did manage to grin lightly at her.

"Well you do have Hank to thank...he was brilliant..."

"They said that you managed to keep me alive," Emma whispered, looking at the doctor stood by the end of the bed and he folded his arms, looking around nervously before shrugging gently.

"I did what I had to."

"Thank you, Hank," Emma said to him, looking him in the eye sincerely.

"No problem."

...

"Emma!" Charles called out her name as he entered the ward, seeing his sister in the end bed with Raven sat with her, her legs crossed on the chair and her skirt pulled down. Erik lurked behind the telepath, unsure as to what to do for the best. "My love. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," she promised him. "I'm okay, Charles."

"I'm sending you back to Oxford as soon as possible," he decided. He had been thinking about it the entire ride to the hospital and he knew he needed to do it. Erik had finally managed to talk him into it, assuring him it would be for the best. Emma's eyes dropped open as she shook her head.

"I don't think so," she spoke. "I am not going back without you and Raven."

"You were almost...Emma...what could have happened to you..."

"Didn't," Emma finished for him. "I am not going back Charles. I'd be alone with no protection!"

"But Shaw wouldn't be there," Erik butted in, looking into her eyes as he did so.

"Why are you so concerned?" she snapped at him.

"Calm down, Emma," Charles warned her.

"I am not going, Charles," she spoke. "And that is the end of that."

...

Westchester had been the home which Emma, Charles and Raven had always loved. They still did to some extent. Each room held a certain memory which was precious to each of them. And now they were sharing those rooms with strangers in a hope to build their own army. Emma had gone to sit in the library down the hall from her room after Charles had said that he intended to go about training Sean for the day on how to use his power. Raven had given them all the grand tour of the mansion whilst Emma had lurked off to the room where she used to live for the majority of her childhood and had picked out a book to read.

"Pride and Prejudice," Erik's voice came into hearing range as he shut the door to the library which caused Emma to move out of her own private world. She had been stuck on page one hundred and three for half an hour. She found herself unable to concentrate on anything other than what could happen. Erik wore a black polo shirt along with white trousers as he looked at her. "You seem to like your classics."

"I do," she simply agreed with him. "What can I do for you?"

"I just thought I would come to see how you were doing," Erik shrugged as if it was something he would do often. Emma knew that to be an absolute lie.

"I'm fine," she promised him and he looked at her deeply for a second. She had changed into her usual night time attire of white vest tops and grey joggers and her eyes were drooping, showing tiredness and the need for a good night's sleep.

"You look tired," Erik said to her and she bit her lip as he folded his arms, looking at her with intrigue and she wondered where that had come from. "You had us all worried earlier."

"Next time I will try to be more considerate for you when I'm stabbed," she spoke curtly and Erik sighed, rolling his eyes at her as he did so. She stood up, dropping the book onto the small sofa and she began to move to the door, clutching onto her side as she did so. Erik noted the pain which she was in and he couldn't help but think she was going to fall in front of his eyes.

"Come here," he said. Emma was surprised at the soft tone of his voice when she was used to it being so curt and unfriendly. He wrapped a muscular arm around her waist, holding onto her weight by his side as she groaned in pain at the relief of tension on her side.

"Thanks," the word managed to come out easily and he nodded.

"Do you want to go back to your room?"

"I could probably manage," she assured him and he chuckled, the vibration echoing off him and onto her as he wrapped an arm under her legs, gently picking her up and holding her in his arms as he manoeuvred down the hall to her bedroom. The room was large like every other room in the mansion and the walls were painted a cream colour, the bed made of the finest mahogany and covered in the most expensive and soft sheets which he had seen. A large wardrobe and dressing table occupied to other end of the room along with a desk under her almost floor length window.

"There you go," Erik mumbled; his mouth close to her neck as he gently rested her onto her bed. She released her hold form around his neck slowly, looking into his eyes as he moved his hands from her body and stood up tall.

"Thanks again," she whispered and he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back into place as the room remained silent between them. Emma moved her white vest top up slightly, looking at the bandage which she was sure needed changing and Erik noted the movement.

"I'll do it," he said in understanding and he saw the bag of bandages which Raven had brought up and placed on her dressing table.

"I can do that," she spoke and Erik sat on the edge of her bed, his hands moving the bandage from its container as Emma pulled off the old one, wincing at the pain slightly. Erik looked onto her flat stomach, the scar clearly visible and needing protecting due to the stitches. "It's horrible," she complained. "More like disgusting."

"It's not," Erik said curtly back to her, the atmosphere in the room changing. "It's not," he said again and then coughing once, pulling the bandage out and moving his body to be able to rest it onto her stomach. Emma flinched at the immediate contact and Erik's cold hands touching her skin so carefully. Erik focused on his work, making sure the bandage was firmly on and trying not to think about how her soft skin felt on his fingertips. He was only male, after all.

"Is that okay?" he checked and she nodded.

"Thank you, Erik," she whispered lowly, looking down onto his work as she lowered her vest top. Erik moved his hand out to her face, pushing her black hair behind her ears as she managed to look into his cold eyes and he looked into her baby blue ones. Emma didn't particularly understand what was happening. Why were they being so polite? Why was he being so kind and caring? He had never shown a tendency to her like that before. He hated her guts. His pastime was winding her up until she cracked. Before any reasonable thought could enter her mind she felt Erik lean closer to her and she was doing the same thing. Time seemed to go slowly for the two of them. Erik wondered what he was doing to. He couldn't do this. He wanted to for some estranged reason but he couldn't.

"I'd best go and see what Charles is doing," he said, dropping his hand from her face and standing up quickly, moving out the room with haste. Emma remained seated, unable to say anything to him as he slammed the door shut. Did she really just want to kiss Erik Lensherr? Apparently so.

...

A/N: Thank you so very much to all of my reviewers! Please, please, do review! Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10

Salt and Pepper. Beauty and the Beast. Night and Day. Need Erik had gone about how different he was to Emma Xavier? The contrast between the two was huge. It was so big that he didn't even know how he found himself in the position which he was in. And that position was pacing up and down the drawing room by the fireplace as the flames light flickered onto his pale features in the darkening night. He didn't know how long he had been in there but he knew that he needed some privacy. Using his powers he had turned the key in the door and locked it quickly, making sure that no one else could come in as he collected his thoughts. He had almost kissed his only friends sister. The woman who constantly wound him up. She was snobbish, stubborn, bolshie. And at the same time she was polite when she wanted to be, shy when confronted in a situation which alarmed her and meek when she needed to be. He wondered if she was schizophrenic. But she must have thought the same as him. He had been hostile to her and then he had changed completely. He had just helped her more than he ever thought he would. He had almost done something extremely intimate. Yes, he had managed to have flings in his time. Drunken nights at bars often led to other things. But they meant nothing to him. They meant less than his almost kiss which alarmed Erik. Yes, his head was in a mess.

...

"Hank," Emma smiled at the doctor that evening as she entered his makeshift laboratory. He was set up in the dining room, all of his science equipment cluttering the table along with one cup of tea which Raven had brought him earlier. The clock had struck eight when she had decided to go and see the doctor, hoping he could help her with something. She closed the door to the dining room, limping over to him as he removed his eyes from the microscope and gave her a lopsided smile.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her and she shrugged, sitting down on the chair beside him as she did so and he looked at her as she looked onto a Petri dish.

"Fine, I guess. Raven told me that you're making some kind of antidote for your mutation and hers," Emma said, hoping to get onto the point of the conversation soon.

"I am trying," he nodded. "Her genes are quite something. When she is forty then they will still be twenty. Incredible."

"Many women would kill for that," Emma snorted. "Anyway, that's why I'm here."

"What?" Hank asked, slightly confused as he moved his tie slightly under his vest sweater. "Raven's genes?"

"No," Emma shook her head, smiling lightly. "I was wondering if there was...well...an antidote...which could heal people quickly..."

"Well I've never heard about one but I imagine it is possible to make one. All that it would take would be to enhance some of the cells to heal quicker."

"Sounds like magic," Emma murmured.

"Science is anything but that," Hank replied quickly, slightly insulted she would refer to it like that and Emma smiled gently at him.

"Sorry," he said. "That was a bit curt. Why do you ask anyway?"

"I need to heal, Hank," Emma whispered. "All of you are training for this war...I need to help...I need to do something..."

"What...I don't want to sound rude..."

"But you want to know what I can do because I'm not a mutant," Emma said to him in a flat tone, tired of being left out from the group because she was boring and normal. "Moira isn't a mutant."

"She's a CIA agent," he pointed out and Emma glared at him for a second as he removed the glasses from his eyes, wiping them on his sleeve.

"We know that there is a war on the way, Hank," Emma spoke, her voice low as she did. "I'm not going to be left out because...Raven and Charles will...they'll be involved, Hank and I can't not do anything...I could help. I'm not completely useless."

"I know," Hank said, sensing that was rambling on as she gritted her teeth dangerously and rested her head in her hands, trying not to cry. She didn't know where her overwhelming feelings had come from. She had always been calm and collected. She had never been a nervous wreck.

"They are all that I have, Hank," she explained. "Please just look for me."

Hank remained silent, wondering if he should do as she asked and he finally nodded at her and she smiled gratefully back at him. He pushed his hair behind his ears, placing his glasses back onto his nose and moving around in his chair, picking up a needle and examining it.

"I need to take some of your blood," he explained. "So that I know what cells to enhance."

"No problem," Emma shrugged and offered Hank her bare arm. He stuck the needle into her and she winced slightly at the sharp pain before seeing her blood drawn from her body. "I never did really thank you for saving my life."

"I only helped," Hank spoke, modesty coming through as he looked at the syringe after taking it from her arm and handing her a cotton bud to wipe up the bleeding. "I didn't do much."

"You don't need to degrade yourself," Emma said. "Anyway, thank you, Hank."

"In that case," Hank shrugged. "No problem."

"I can see that you would make Raven very happy," Emma informed him, moving herself from the seat and he turned red at the cheeks, his eyes wide as he wondered what to say to that. Emma saw his nervousness and laughed heartedly. "Oh Hank. You two are clearly into each other...just...go for it. She likes you and you like her. You're a good person."

"I don't really know what she would see in me," Hank shrugged awkwardly and Emma bent down to swiftly kiss his cheek.

"She sees what everybody else but you can see," Emma whispered back to him and he raised a brow. "She sees who you really are."

Emma began to move over to the door, placing her hand onto the handle as she thought for a moment.

"Can you not tell Charles or anyone else about this?" Emma asked him, turning back to look at him and he chuckled gently.

"Charles is a telepath," he reminded her.

"Well don't tell him willingly?" she offered him and he nodded at her, a smirk on his face as she finally opened the door and left, seeing Raven stood in the hallway, a stern look on her face as Emma looked at her sister.

"Hey," she spoke lightly.

"Hi," Raven said, a little more coldly that Emma had ever heard her speak to her.

"Hank is in there...working..." Emma said and Raven nodded, folding her arms.

"I know," she said and moved past her sister, opening the door herself and going in to see Hank. Emma wondered what had rattled her cage but she decided not to bother pursuing Raven. She often had mood swings. If only she knew Raven had seen her kiss Hank and had managed to get the wrong end of the stick.

...

"Your thoughts are certainly loud," Charles told Erik. The metal bender had moved from the drawing room and was stood outside, his arms resting against the stone ledge as he looked onto the satellite dish in the dark night. His head was bowed as the thoughts consumed his mind and he looked over at Charles, wondering why he was out here.

"I thought I told you not to read my mind?" Erik snapped at him and Charles stood beside him, looking into the distance.

"I didn't," he said. "I can just feel them trying to enter my mind. Do you want to tell me what is wrong?"

"Not particularly," Erik gritted his teeth. "It isn't anything important anyway."

"If you're sure," Charles shrugged, giving Erik a moment of silence to decide whether or not he wanted to talk about what was bothering him. "I am not blind, Erik. I pretend to be."

Erik turned his head, his eyes narrowing at Charles who looked back at him and Erik took a second to think about what to say back to the comment which he had just received.

"Then you know, don't you?"

"I have a suspicion," Charles shrugged. "I saw you carrying my sister to her room."

"She was in pain," Erik said as if it were a reasonable explanation. And it was to a reasonable person. But Erik was anything but that.

"You have never cared to help her before," Charles said lightly. "What has changed, Erik?"

"I don't know," Erik answered honestly. "I don't know why we are having this discussion anyway."

"She is my sister," Charles said as it was a reasonable explanation. "Then again, they often say that opposites attract."

"Be quiet, Charles," Erik complained in a drawl. "Nothing is happening between Emma and me."

"Nothing which you want to admit to," Charles murmured. "I should give you the entire you hurt my sister and I break your neck speech."

"But we both know you don't have the guts to do that," Erik grinned. "There isn't anything happening so it is irrelevant."

"Does Emma know that?"

"I think she knows it better than anyone."

...

She stood in the cold air on the balcony at the end of the hallway, looking into the small garden in the backyard. The mansion had been very well maintained for a few years. She imagined someone came to clean it often. She didn't know if Charles had ever planned to move back home considering the Westchester home was officially his as he was the elder sibling. The patch of grass by the pathways was cut expertly, different shades of green lines contrasting in it whilst the small vegetable plot was empty; just soil where vegetables should be. Emma finally allowed her eyes to be drawn to the greenhouse. A lump rose in her throat as she thought about what happened ten years ago and she continued to stare at it, unable to remove her eyes from the glass shed.

"You'll catch a cold if you stand up here for much longer," Erik's voice suddenly told her as he stood in the glass door's doorway, his arms folded as he watched her. She didn't turn around to look at him as she allowed her shoulders to move up lightly and then fall back down with a sigh.

"Stalking me much?" she asked him and he chuckled, shutting the glass doors and locking them by using his hands as he stood beside her on the balcony, looking into the garden.

"You're stood about five metres from the door to my room," Erik whispered to her. "I couldn't really miss you. What are you doing out here?"

"Thinking," she muttered almost incoherently. Erik had to strain his hearing to listen to her. "You don't need to stay."

"I needed to talk to you," he spoke nonchalantly. "Charles has been thinking."

"Always dangerous," she joked with him, starting to shiver in the cold air.

"He thinks there is something going on between us," Erik said and she rolled her eyes.

"Does he not understand that we can't stand the sight of each other?" Emma replied. "I think you're a pompous arse and you think I'm a snobby cow."

"That is exactly what I told him," Erik nodded in agreement with her. "I hate you and you hate me."

"Although you helping me earlier wasn't hate," Emma spoke, leaning back, her hands still holding onto the stone ledge whilst Erik turned around, his back resting against it so he could watch her look into the sky.

"I was being practical," he excused himself. "You would only have moaned if I didn't help you and left you to struggle and I can't particularly be bothered to listen to your whinging."

Erik began to move out of the leather jacket which he wore before resting it onto her shoulders gently, his hands rubbing against her shoulders as he stood behind her, pulling her black hair form the collar for her before his hand rested onto her neck, his fingers lightly tickling against her skin.

"Practical," he whispered. "You standing out here would earn you a cold and you don't need that when your immune system is already weak."

He heard her breathing shallow and felt her shiver under his touch. He smirked at the effect which he had on her, unable to do anything but chuckle as he went back to his previous position, folding his arms which were covered in his black jumper.

"Why are you doing this?" Emma asked him simply. "You know what I am. You have said yourself that you would rather not associate with people like me."

"And do tell me what I am doing," he pleaded with her and she rolled her eyes at him, looking away from the greenhouse as she turned to face him.

"You're messing with my mind, Erik," she snapped. "You...one minute you're kind and the next you're an arse and then you're telling me that being kind to me doesn't mean anything. I don't even know what to think!"

"It doesn't need to mean anything," he shrugged. "You don't need to read too much into it, you know that? Charles wants us to be civil."

"Forget Charles," Emma shook her head. "You have never been bothered about what Charles has thought before. You're too stubborn to care what he really thinks!"

"So what do you think?" Erik wondered aloud. "What do you think I am doing?"

Emma folded her arms, her chin jutting out as she made the move and she looked at him through her eyes. Erik was always surprised at how one minute they could be judgemental and the next they could be so scared. All of her ferociousness was an act and Erik knew it.

"I think...I don't know what to think...I mean you almost kissed me earlier."

"You were leaning in too," he informed her and she shrugged at him, pushing a hand through her hair as she made the movement and thought about what to say in return to that comment.

"I was confused," she excused herself from the action. "You were the one who initiated it."

"Nothing happened," he reminded her. "I didn't initiate anything."

"Don't lie," Emma said and Erik chuckled at her, moving a fallen strand of his hair back into place.

"You sound like a child," he informed her.

"Oh shut up," Emma concluded. "So what now? Do we pretend nothing happened?"

"Well you can't stand me and I believe the feeling is mutual," Erik spoke to her.

"That is how it is," she promised him.

"Good," Erik grinned and walked out of the balcony, leaving Emma there and turning to look back into the night, her cheeks red and her mind frustrated.

...

"I've done it," Hank informed Emma when he saw her the following morning. Charles had gone to the bunker with Alex and Sean was with Raven as he showed her how to break glass outside. Erik was brooding somewhere but Emma didn't particularly care. She went into the kitchen and found herself some cereal before sitting down at the table, a spoon in her hand as she toyed with the food. Hank took the seat opposite her, showing her the needle in his hand and she smiled widely, dropping the spoon into the bowl with a clatter.

"That didn't take long," she said in shock.

"It was quite simple when I put my mind to it," he assured her. "It should do the job easily. The scar will be gone and your immune system will be running back to normal."

"I can't thank you enough, Hank," Emma said and he stood up, passing her the syringe before managing to smile at her.

"It is fine." He said. "I best get back to work. I will see you later."

"Thanks again," Emma called after him as he left the kitchen. She hastily cleared away the pots into the sink and sat back down at the table, looking at the ointment in the glass tube before rolling up the sleeve of her loose white blouse and resting her arm onto the kitchen table. She picked the syringe up, pushing it into her veins and finally managing to push down the top to it, the liquid moving into her blood stream. As soon as it had been emptied she dropped it from her skin and felt her body warm up quickly. It was painless what happened and Emma wondered if it had taken an effect at all. But then she felt the side of her body becoming excruciatingly hot. She quickly moved the silk up, pulling the bandage to see what was happening as she groaned in pain and saw what was happening before her eyes. The scar was healing. The stitches dissolving. It had worked.

...

"What the hell are you doing?" Charles snapped at his sister when he saw her moving around the library, tidying up after the mutants who had made a mess. Emma looked at him with enquiring eyes as he stood with his hands on his hips and Erik was behind him, his face showing intrigue as to her sudden recovery.

"Cleaning," she spoke. "I thought it was obvious. You need to tell the mutants to learn to do that."

"I meant why aren't you resting," Charles hissed. "You were stabbed less than three days ago."

"Thanks for the reminder," Emma murmured. "I'm fine now. A miraculous recovery."

"It is impossible," Charles snapped at her. "That is not possible, Emma, and we both know it."

"It is," she promised him. She should have known she couldn't get away with what she had asked Hank to do. If it worked then Charles would have known. It was obvious.

"Do I have to read your mind?" Charles asked her and she glared at him.

"Hank made me an antidote to enhance my immune system and help me recover," she explained in a hiss.

"You naive girl!" Charles roared, his hand slicing the air as he did so. "Do you have any idea what could have happened?"

"I took the chance," she spoke. "I am twenty one, Charles. It was my choice to ask him and it worked. I'm fine."

"Why would you even risk it?" he wondered. "You could have simply waited until it healed."

"In case you haven't noticed we are in the middle of a war." Emma reminded him and Erik snorted once, shaking his head and the siblings turned to look at him quickly.

"It is a war which you are not involved in," Erik reminded her. "You aren't going up against Shaw or anyone else."

"Who do you think you are to tell me that?" Emma replied, standing tall and looking at Erik. "My brother and sister are involved in this. I am not going to let them get killed whilst I have to stand by and watch."

"Erik is right, Emma," Charles decided in a drawl, looking at his sister with sad eyes. He understood why she had done it. She felt weak and useless to them. "You cannot be involved in this."

"No," Emma replied to him, shaking her head. "You're siding with Erik?"

"I am not taking sides, Emma," Charles promised her. "Raven and I could not live with ourselves if anything happened to you."

"And you think I could?" Emma placed a hand onto her stomach, bending slightly as she looked at Charles. "You think I could manage that? You're being hypocritical, Charles."

"This is not up for discussion," Charles promised her. "Calm down, my love."

"Don't tell me to calm down," she warned him, storming past to him to the door. "Don't bloody start, Charles."

She slammed the door on the two men and Charles pressed a hand onto his forehead, a headache entering his brain.

"I'll go and talk to her," Erik said to Charles. "I think if she sees you then you could make things worse."

It didn't take Erik long to catch up with her. She was heading outside to the side garden where the shed containing all the gardening equipment was kept. He grabbed onto her arm as he stopped her, turning her to face her and she glowered at him. They stopped on the stone slab of the garden in the afternoon air and Erik looked down at her to see her angry and trying not to cry.

"He's being completely unreasonable!" she snapped and Erik shook his head.

"He is trying to keep you safe," he replied. "Why can you not see that?"

"And why can't you just stay out of conversations?" she enquired. "Your opinion on that matter was not one needed!"

"Because I need to think coherently and you two don't do that because you're too close to each other," Erik spoke to her. "You coming with us could cause a lot of problems. What if Shaw manages to get to you again? What if he uses you against us as a hostage?"

"Then you don't give into him! But I am sitting tight whilst you all go and fight a war!" she roared at him and Erik rolled his eyes at her.

"We cannot take that risk, Emma," he said, his hands resting on her shoulders as he bent down to look at her, trying to get her to see reason. "This is for the best, Emma...please...see that? Charles just wants to keep you safe and let nothing happen to you."

"Then why doesn't he keep Raven at home?" she asked, extending her hand and pointing to the house. "She is his sister too. This is because I am a mutant, Erik. I know what this is about. It's because I would be useless to him there."

"That is probably true," Erik nodded at her. "But he will do his best to make sure she is safe too. I am sure he would prefer for her to stay here but she can be useful to stopping this war."

"I can do something," Emma said. "I honestly can, Erik."

"Calm down," Erik pleaded with her, placing a hand onto her cheek slowly and wiping away a stray tear. "You don't need to get worked up over this."

Erik looked at her and she looked to the ground. He didn't know why but the urge came over him again. He bent down, his hand cupping the back of her neck as he drew her closer to him, his mouth slowly and quickly descending onto hers. As soon as his lips touched hers she closed her eyes, allowing him to kiss her. She didn't know how she felt but her stomach turned and she couldn't help but allow her own hands to move onto his shoulders as his free arm wrapped around her waist. After a moment Emma moved up away from Erik, looking up at him as he looked down at her.

"What are we doing?" she whispered. "What is this?"

"I thought it was quite self explanatory," he replied and Emma removed her body from his, shaking her head and pushing her hand through her hair.

"No," she said. "We can't do this, Erik. I am everything which you despise. This isn't logical."

"Life often isn't logical," Erik replied, his voice deep and low.

"You hate me, Erik," Emma spoke. "You hate humans and I am one of them. I am the very specimen which you despise. "

Erik remained silent; not challenging the words which had came from her mouth. He hated humans and he didn't plan to lie to her. She wanted to hear him say that it didn't matter what she was. But the bottom line was that it did matter.

"I'll see you later, Erik," Emma said after he remained silent, unable to tell her what she wanted.

...

A/N: Thank you to all of my reviewers once again! I can't believe how many of you are enjoying it! Please do review! The plot thickens in the next chapter as Raven and Emma come to blows and Charles tries to be the mediator. More Emma and Erik too!


	11. Chapter 11

Emma rushed back into the mansion, leaving Erik stood on his own and staring after her. His hands forced themselves into balls by his sides as his teeth gritted together loudly. Why was his life so complicated? Why couldn't he simply chase after her and tell her that she was everything which he hated but everything which he was drawn to? Was it because she was a human? He knew nothing would ever work out because he couldn't let it. He had been stupid to even think he could get away with kissing her and having no repercussions because of it. Erik Lensherr had been naive.

...

Emma walked back into the mansion, taking deep breaths as she made her way through the kitchen and she pushed the tears from her eyes. Her normal stone emotions were betraying her terribly. As she opened the wooden door she came face to face with Charles who had his hands on his hips which were covered by his pale blue shirt as he looked at her with wide eyes, unsure of what to even think about the entire situation which he had found himself in.

"I understand you're upset," Charles whispered, taking her hand and pulling her down the hallway and into the study. The afternoon sun was streaming through the large windows and onto the plush beige carpet. The walls were covered in bookshelves, dust visible from some of them in the light as they had not been moved in years. The desk was clear as it had not been used for a while and the fireplace was in need of some more wood in order for it to work correctly.

"I'm not upset," Emma shook her head at her brother. "I'm confused. Ever since I was stabbed I've felt different, Charles."

Charles remained quiet, moving to lean against the desk as Emma looked at the bookshelf, picking out a book and looking into it as she did so. Charles was taken by surprise, expecting his sister to indeed show that she was upset. Instead she seemed slightly calm which confused Charles.

"How is it that you feel different?" Charles asked her, folding his arms as he watched her with intent and she looked anywhere but into his eyes.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I think it made me feel more useless than ever before. Shaw picked on me because in his plans I am nothing, am I?"

"I think we both know that Shaw is not someone who you should even take notice of, Emma," Charles promised his sister. "He is a very twisted individual."

"I know that," Emma promised him, licking the tip of her finger and flipping the page over as she did so, looking through the book with interest and Charles took the time to study her features. "I know I am like the majority of the population and my genes are normal. But you need to understand that you and Raven are all that I have and if you two insist in going to this war then I cannot sit back and remain calm."

Emma finally looked up into Charles's eyes and he looked back at her, coughing once and lowering his lids to the floor, unable to deal with the intensity of her gaze when he knew how she must feel.

"You cannot say that would be any different in this situation, Charles," Emma informed her sibling. "That would be extremely hypocritical of you."

"I just do not know if I am able to take the risk, Emma." Charles murmured. "I honestly do not know what to do for the best at this moment in time. If you were to come then I would expect you and Moira to stay very close together and allow us to deal with Shaw and his team."

"Moira," Emma chuckled once, closing the book in one hand with a snap and placing it back onto the shelf. "Have you stopped flirting with her yet?"

Charles chuckled once, the sound light as he shook his head, holding his chin in his hands as he looked to the side and at the fireplace.

"I haven't done anything with Agent MacTaggert," he assured his sister. "I have been too busy trying to train the teenagers for Shaw. I worry about them, Emma."

"They're good," Emma nodded at Charles, scanning the bookshelf again. "I've seen the way you work with them. You care for them deeply."

"I think the last few days have been interesting," Charles nodded at his sister. "We've had to work together and that brings us closer together. Even Erik is warming to you."

"Don't," Emma said harshly back to Charles, outstretching her hand slightly and leaning her weight against the bookshelf as she shook her head quickly. "Don't mention him."

"What has happened now?" Charles wondered aloud as Emma chuckled once, managing to stand up and look at her brother again as she walked around the room, wondering where the hidden door was in the bookshelves.

"Let's just say Erik has told me what he really thinks," Emma spoke aloud and Charles raised a brow at her as she tapped on the books and he stood up straight, walking to the window and looking outside to where Hank and Sean were running.

"He thinks all humans are like Shaw," Charles said loud and clear as Emma turned around to look at his back.

"How did you even know what I was talking about?" she enquired.

"I've seen you and Erik become civil and he even took care of you last night. At the same time I also know that the two of you will never evolve into anything because of his ideology," Charles said, his voice holding a harsh edge to it which was extremely unusual for the telepath considering his innocence nature and the kindness of his genes. "I know how you feel for him, Emma. You hate him sometimes and then other times you cannot help but feel drawn to him because of how he can be kind and show how he cares."

"I really do not want to talk about this, Charles," Emma informed her brother. "And besides, this subject is one which I tend not to discuss with my brother."

...

"Hey," Emma said when she saw Raven later on in the afternoon. She was laid on the flat bream bed by the window as she lifted a weight above her head. Raven looked to the side, continuing her weight training as she did so. "We haven't spoken in a while."

"Charles told me about how you and Hank had decided to conspire," Raven said loudly, bending her knees slightly more as Emma remained stood up, looking over to the door to make sure she had shut it tightly. "It was a big risk getting him to make you an antidote. Then again, you two looked quite cosy in his makeshift lab."

Emma remained silent, a hand going through her hair as she thought about Raven's words and she continued to stare at her sister, thinking about what to say in response to that.

"Hank is a nice young man," she informed her sister.

"I know," Raven snapped back at her. "You also know how I feel about him, don't you?"

"You need to calm down, Raven," Emma said and Raven moved the weight back onto its stand and she sat up straight, her eyes glaring at Emma as she tried not to yell at her. "Hank was simply helping me."

"And when someone helps you do you always kiss them?" Raven hissed at her sister who blinked ferociously at what she was hearing. Raven had managed to get the completely wrong idea and Emma had to set her straight before she continued on her rant and she didn't even know what she was on about.

"I was also thanking him for saving my life, Raven," Emma snapped back at her. "You need to stop being so insecure, Raven. I would never do that to you."

"Insecure!" Raven yelled the word as if it was blasphemous. She stood up, her face turning red with anger and her eyes glaring at her sister who was stood near the sofa, her arms folded. "You would have no idea what insecure is! You with your perfect little life and your degree! You have the chance to be anything that you want to be! You can be normal and live a normal life without fearing anything! Do you have any idea what it is like to be me?"

"Calm down, Raven," Emma pleaded with her sister. "I know you hate your blue form but Hank is working on something for it. You know that I don't care if you are blue or not! You're beautiful now!"

"But I'm not now, am I?" she asked her sister and shifted into her natural form, her red hair matching the colour which her cheeks had previously been. Her yellow eyes looked at Emma as she stared back at her. "No one will ever accept this, will they? And you know that, Emma. You can have anyone who you want...and the boy who I actually thought liked me..."

"There isn't even anything going on between us, Raven," Emma replied, her voice desperate to make her believe that. "Just please stop this."

"I will never be able to do anything which you do, Emma," Raven said, her voice quieting down slightly as she looked at her sister. "I will never be seen as normal and you have no idea how I feel. You've always been the smart, beautiful one who men have always fawned over because of that. Never because of how good looking you are and that they just want to use you for that. I envy you, Emma. And then I saw you with Hank...and...the one person who I can relate to and...I flipped...Emma..."

"You don't need to be jealous of me," Emma replied, shaking her head quickly at her sister and dropping her arms to sit by her sides. "I'm anything but perfect, Raven."

"But you will always be accepted."

"What is the noise in here?" Charles asked, walking into the room and shutting the door, his eyes looking between the two siblings and he raised a brow. "Why have you transformed, Raven?"

"Leave it, Charles," Emma warned her brother. "Raven and I just had a misunderstanding."

"About what?"

"Nothing," Raven said quickly, not really wanting to discuss the situation with her brother and she sensed Emma felt the same way. Charles sighed, wishing they wouldn't hide things from him.

"I can sense the tension in here," Charles informed them. "Clearly something has just happened that you are keeping from me."

"We are fine," Emma said, her voice coming out in a snapping and curt manner. "Honestly."

"I sense that this is something that you don't want to discuss with me?" he checked and Emma snorted as Raven couldn't help but smile lightly at him.

"What gave it away?" the blonde enquired and Charles chuckled.

"I shall leave you to it then," Charles shrugged. "Just...we are in the middle of a war where we all need to be united. You two arguing won't help matters and it won't make you feel better about anything."

Emma and Raven remained quiet, allowing Charles to make his departure from the room before they looked back at each other. Raven folded her arms, shrugging lightly as she shifted back into her natural blue form.

"He's right," Emma admitted. "I don't know what it is like for you but I don't want to fight over a silly misunderstanding."

Raven looked to the ground before she looked to the ceiling, trying not to cry about what had just happened. She didn't need to snap at her sister. She didn't need to explode like she had just done. It wasn't Emma's fault that she was blue.

"Neither do I," Raven agreed. "I'm sorry."

"Do we hug it out?" Emma enquired and Raven nodded once, making her way over to her sister and hugging her tightly.

"I just want to be accepted, Emma." Raven muttered into her sister's shoulder.

"I know."

...

"A punch bag," Erik grinned as he walked into the gym in the basement. He wore his grey hooded jumper and grey joggers along with his white trainers. A towel was held around his neck as he moved further into the room, stepping onto the blue mattress on the floor and walking over to the second punch bag held on the ceiling which Charles had installed that moment. Emma wore a pink vest top and black joggers as she hit the bag which was hardly moving from side to side as she hit it with all her might.

"I'm trying to work out," Emma said, hitting the bag harder which caused her hair to fly around her face.

"Why?" Erik wondered, dropping the towel onto the floor before hitting the bag once. Emma looked to the side and watched him hit it harder than she could have imagined. Sighing once, she stepped back from the bag and Erik looked at her. "You've never tried to work out before."

"You've known me for a few weeks," Emma simply informed him. "How do you know that I've never worked out before?"

"You have no muscles and cannot punch that thing," Erik muttered, hitting the bag again. "I think it is quite obvious that you do not work out."

"I'm trying," she quickly muttered in response.

"I can tell," he said sarcastically. "You're trying so hard and that is why you quit."

"Why do you insist on winding me up?" Emma snapped, turning to watch him as he continued with his punch bag fest and she walked over to him slowly. "What happened earlier clearly meant nothing to you so why don't we just leave it at that?"

"You ran from me," Erik snapped, hitting the bag even harder. "You left me in the garden."

"You didn't say anything to me, Erik!" Emma yelled. "I know that nothing will ever happen between us because I'm a human and you're a mutant. End of."

Erik didn't say anything back to her. She was right and he shouldn't push her even further than he had been doing.

"You think every human is like Shaw," Emma whispered.

"You don't think I'm normal," Erik said, stopping his punching and looking at her with his cold eyes. "You think I'm a freak along with the other humans in the world. You fear us and that is how the war will begin."

"You don't know what I think," Emma replied to him. "You don't know anything, Erik."

"I know how the world works. And you're a part of it."

...

Raven continued her working out until the late afternoon. Her thoughts were the only things which entertained her mind and even then she was trying to escape their negativity.

"If you're using only half of your concentration to look normal then you're not paying full attention to what is happening around you," Erik suddenly informed her as the weight was lifted from her hands and it hovered in mid air. Erik sauntered over to her, his eyes looking onto the blonde. "Just pointing out something which could save your life."

He suddenly dropped the weight and it fell downwards. Raven changed into her natural form and caught onto it quickly, turning to look back at Erik with narrowed eyes.

"You want society to accept you but you can't even accept yourself."

"Is it any wonder?" she replied back to him. "You may be a mutant but at least it is invisible."

"You shouldn't need to hide, Raven," Erik informed her. "The humans should look up to you for what you truly are."

"And what is that?" Raven snorted and Erik's eyes went wide as he looked sincerely at her.

"You're an exquisite creature."

...

A/N: Thank you to anyone who has reviewed! Let me know what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

"The waves should be enough to carry him...but you're not sure?" Emma checked with Charles as she walked beside him on the green lawn later on in the evening. Her arm was linked with his and his other hand remained in his pocket, his eyes looking up to the black sky where stars were beginning to shine and he smirked gently once.

"Hank has designed him the wings," Charles informed his sister. "But they didn't stop him from falling out of the window and landing straight in the rose bush."

"That bush was always one of mother's favourites," Emma reminisced and Charles remained silent, the conversation of his mother not one which he particularly enjoyed. The pair of them stopped on their walk suddenly and Charles settled himself onto the ground as Emma did the same, sitting beside her brother, both of them had their elbows resting on the moist grass as they looked up to the stars.

"I know what happened between you and Erik," Charles decided to spill his private information to Emma who simply rolled her eyes, narrowing them onto the sky above her. Charles took a swift glance to his right to see how she reacted and he was shocked to see that she was calm once again.

"I've kissed dozens of people, Charles," Emma said and her brother scowled, not needing to be told that piece of information from his sibling. "Erik has made his feelings perfectly clear anyway. In the short term nothing would happen because we are unable to see past each other's bad traits and in the long term it would produce the same result. I am a part of society and Erik refuses to be just that."

"It doesn't stop the fact that you want something to work out, Em," Charles said to his sister. "It is horrible to want something which you cannot have."

Emma looked at Charles as he spoke, his voice sounding as if it was coming from personal experience which Emma found difficult to believe. Turning her head, she looked at Charles and he looked sadly at her and she finally found out what he was speaking about.

"So you are attracted to Moira?" she gasped, unable to believe it was really true. Charles had spent most of his days flirting with women but never making a move to do anything serious. He had never looked as sad about a woman as he did in that moment. Charles shrugged quickly, moving his eyes back to the sky as he reclined further back onto the grass.

"Moira is a good woman," Charles informed his sister. "I have never felt this way about a woman before and I have had my fair few shares of flirtation with their gender."

"But why can nothing work out?" Emma enquired. "At least she can stand the sight of you."

"I have noted she cannot take her eyes from me quite often," Charles joked and Emma nudged him in the side, causing him to lose balance as he laughed heartedly and she rolled her eyes at him before his smile turned to sadness. "She is a CIA agent. I fear that once our mission is complete then the CIA will have no use for us and Moira...well...she is an agent and her job is her main priority."

"But if she truly likes you then that's all that matters, is it not?" Emma replied and Charles bit the inside of his cheek for a moment, taking time to consider what she had just said to him before he shook his head.

"I have read about feelings being generated in situations like this," Charles spoke clearly. "People being attracted to each other because of the close proximity which they are forced to have. I believe relationships need time to bloom and with Moira being in the CIA then time is something which she does not have."

"You worry too much," Emma snorted. "You just need to let things take their own course."

"Since when did you become more relaxed about life?" Charles asked, his voice low and amused as Emma shrugged, laying flat on the grass as she did so.

"I guess being stabbed changes a girl," she spoke to him and he looked down at her.

"Hm," he mused for a moment. "So what was going on between you and Raven earlier? I decided it would be best to leave you two to it considering you both did not want my presence."

"She thinks that I was trying to steal Hank from her," Emma mumbled, trying to forget about the conversation which had taken place. Charles arched his brow as he tried not to laugh at what he was hearing.

"Has she not picked up on the attraction between you and Erik? Surely that would tell her that she has nothing to worry about," Charles assured his sister and Emma raised her brows, shutting her eyes whilst Charles lay beside her on the grass, resting his hands onto his stomach.

"I think she is insecure. She seems to have this image that I can get any male that I want and she felt threatened when I was talking to Hank. She didn't need to be. She is beautiful anyway and Hank likes her too. It was a silly misunderstanding," Emma concluded, not wanting to discuss the situation she had been in earlier and Charles picked up on her reluctance.

"I presume you two have made up?" he checked with her.

"I think so," Emma responded. "I told her that Hank clearly liked her and that she had no reason to be insecure."

"Ridiculous, isn't it?" Charles groaned. "How have we found ourselves in this predicament?"

"I blame this entire situation on you."

"I thought you would."

...

Raven sat alone in her room, wondering what Erik had meant earlier. She was an exquisite creature. She was horrible and blue. And then Hank had come in, telling her that he had managed to make her remedy as he continued to work on his own. That was when the truth poured out. Hank had told her that she was beautiful as her blonde self. He had called her natural self ugly. And she knew she was just that. But she didn't see why she had to hide from the world. Erik had been right. She needed to accept herself but she couldn't do it. And so the antidote had been her only option. And it had worked. She didn't feel any better about herself but she looked better and that wall that counted.

She pushed herself from her bed, stopping her own self pity and she moved down the hallways, wearing just her robe as she opened the door to the room which Erik had been staying in. She didn't know why she was doing it. But she wanted to show him that she was normal. Dropping her robe onto his chair she took a deep breath before moving into his bed, covering herself with the white sheets as she looked at the doorway, waiting for him to enter. And much to her advantage, she didn't need to wait long.

"Well this is a surprise," Erik mused, looking at Raven who grinned back at him.

"A nice one, I hope."

And then his look of shock dropped as he moved around his bed, standing by his desk as he removed the watch from his wrist.

"Get out Raven. I want to go to bed," he spoke sulkily as he heard a slight flutter echo around the room and his ears pricked up, wondering what was happening. "And besides, I prefer the real Raven."

He looked around, turning to face her as she turned blue through her body and then turned back to her blonde accomplice. She continued to grin at him as he looked at her, his eyes burning into hers as he thought about what he had just seen.

"I said the real Raven," his voice was low and full of authority, demanding to see her for what she was. Raven fluttered again, but this time she turned fully blue, her skin becoming cold and scaly, her hair the dark red and her eyes vibrant yellow. "Perfection."

"Can you pass me my robe?" she asked meekly. Her air of confidence had gone as Erik shook his head. She was a mutant and she didn't need to hide. Charles and Emma had been pressuring her into living with society when society should aspire to be more like them. No more.

"You don't need to hide, Raven," he whispered, sitting himself down on the bed beside her, his eyes looking into hers. "Have you ever looked at a tiger and thought that its spots should be covered up?"

"No," Raven said, a small laugh escaping her lips as Erik smiled at her.

"You don't need to hide, Raven," Erik said to her. He didn't know why he did it but he didn't resist her as she moved her face closer to his, her lips falling onto his own as his hand moved to her cheek, stroking it with his fingers lightly as he thought about his actions. Raven was a mutant. She was a mutant who needed to be shown that it was okay to just be what she is.

...

"Oh," Emma gasped once, her hand resting on her chest as she stood in her room after moving out from the en suite, her hair dripping wet as she wore her pyjamas. She placed a hand onto her chest, feeling her heart rate rise as she looked at Raven who was in her natural blue form and sat on her bed. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry," Raven apologised. "I brought you a hot chocolate up."

"Thank you," Emma replied, pushing a towel through her hair, hoping that it would dry quicker. "What brings you in here anyway? And why are you blue?"

"Is there a problem?" Raven enquired from her sister who raised a brow and shook her head, checking her reflection in the mirror.

"No," she assured her. "I was just wondering."

"The antidote which Hank made me didn't...well...it didn't work," Raven muttered and Emma turned to look at her apologetically.

"I am sorry," she said and Raven shrugged, crossing her legs and holding her own drink in her hands.

"I spoke with Erik though," she said. "He...he told me that I...he said I'm an exquisite creature."

Emma tried to remain emotionless as Raven smiled lightly at what Erik had said to her.

"Did he offer you any other wisdom?" Emma asked, her voice holding sarcasm and boredom as Raven rolled her eyes.

"No," she said to her sister. "I did kiss him though."

And then time seemed to stop for a second. The words which came out of her mouth had such an effect on Emma that she didn't even know what to think. She felt as though there was something churning in her stomach. Her mouth went dry and her body became heavy.

"You look like you're about to burst out crying," Raven said, biting her cheek for a second and Emma shook her head, turning back to the mirror so that she couldn't see her.

"I'm fine," she choked out.

"Good," Raven nodded. "Because after I had done it he jumped up and began to snap at himself for being such an idiot."

And then Emma froze once again. Her back remained turned to Raven as the blue woman rose from her position on the bed and walked over to her sister, turning her to face her before looking her straight in the eye.

"If I had known how you two really felt about each other then I would not have bothered," she promised Emma who shook her head.

"It isn't your fault. We haven't really spoken much during the time here."

"You need to go and see him." Raven said, authority moving into her voice as Emma shook her head quickly.

"I can't," she replied.

"You either go willingly or I move you down there," she warned her. "He began to say that kissing me was a mistake, Emma. He told me that it couldn't mean anything because...he was confused as to how he felt. It took me a while to get the information from him but my moaning skills seem to be enough to do the trick."

"I'm not surprised," Emma said and Raven rolled her eyes.

"Go and see him. You two need to talk."

...

"I hear you kissed Raven," Emma said as soon as she saw Erik. Her sister had marched her to his room, demanding her that she needed to talk about it before Raven sorted it out for her. She had been angry at first when Erik had told her it meant nothing. Any girl would be. But she forgave him when she realised that Emma was the one he was drawn to. Emma had gone in and had tried to remain calm but she failed. She needed to know why Erik had even kissed Raven in the first place. And then she wanted to inform her sister that it was not okay to go around naked in other men's rooms.

"Of course she told you," Erik muttered, half amused and half worried as he went about his room in his night wear, putting his clothes into neat piles as Emma folded her arms.

"You best not have taken advantage, Erik," she growled and he snorted at her, raising a brow and glowering.

"She was the one naked in my bed," he snapped. "And besides, I told her that it was a mistake."

"She told me that too."

"Is nothing sacred?"

"Not when you kiss two sisters."

"It was a mistake."

"Which one?"

"Raven." He said and Emma remained quiet. Erik looked at her, his face showing tiredness and strain as he looked into her eyes sadly. She tucked her hair behind her ears, turning red slightly as she looked at the ground and crossed her ankles together. "I'm drawn to you, Emma. I think we both know that."

"Even though I'm a snobby cow?" she wondered, feeling braver than before as she looked back up at Erik who chuckled darkly.

"Especially because you're a snobby cow," he informed her. "Don't pretend to not know that I am attracted to you. I know you feel the same way."

"Very presumptuous," she muttered. "You are forgetting the little fact that I am a human, Erik."

"Unfortunately I cannot forget that fact," he replied in a whisper and she shook her head, looking back into his eyes, needing to tell him the blunt facts about what they really were.

"I'm one of them, Erik, I'm the enemy who you would destroy." She looked at him, challenging his gaze as he remained glaring back at her. After deliberation he spoke his carefully thought out words.

"There are exceptions to every rule."

"That's not how the world works," Emma whispered as he advanced closer to her, his head bowed down slightly as he finally stood in front of her, the heat radiating from his body and onto hers as he reached out, placing his own fingers onto her cheek, causing her to shiver involuntary as he lowered his head closer to hers, his forehead resting against her own as his hot breath ticked her skin, causing her eyes to shut;

"Did I not tell you that the world is often not logical?"

And before she could reply to him he was kissing her once again.


	13. Chapter 13

"You should go back to your room," Erik whispered later on when he heard the clock strike one in the morning. He and Emma had been laid on his bed, quite content in each other's company for the first time since their meeting. Emma moved closer to his side, his arm wrapping around her waist as her breath gently hit his neck. "You don't want people thinking bad things."

"I don't care," she replied. "The world is poised for war and we don't know the outcome of it, Erik. The mutants can think what they want."

"Well this is a different side to you," Erik joked, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger lazily as she managed to shrug awkwardly in his hold. "What happened to your reputation to uphold appearance?"

"Come on, Erik," she complained, rolling her eyes and looking at the bare skin of his neck and down to his white top. "Everything which most of us do is a facade."

"True," Erik agreed with her gently and he kissed the top of her head. "I don't know what it is about you."

"Did my charming behaviour not help?" she wondered aloud, looking at him finally as she pulled back and he grinned back at her, slightly baring his teeth as he did so.

"I think we both know that charming is not the word we should use," Erik mumbled jokingly and she hit him gently on his arm.

"This is so weird," Emma whispered as he grabbed onto her hand, entwining her fingers with his as she lay back down and he rested their hands on her hip gently.

"You mean that you think it is weird that one moment we are tearing at each other's throat and the next we are so close and not wanting to kill each other," Erik summarised, gently tapping his fingers against hers. She remained silent for a second, thinking about what he had just said to her and she nodded once.

"I guess that's it," she agreed and he chuckled darkly, the sound echoing through the room. "So what do we do now?"

"I think we should probably go to sleep," Erik informed her, checking the clock again before looking at the light, thinking about reaching over her to switch it off and darken the room.

"I mean in the future Erik. In the long term," she clarified and Erik's smile fell from his face, his thoughts clouding over as he thought about what she had just said to him and he gulped once, trying to rid himself of the lump in his throat which had suddenly appeared.

"We need to get the war over with, Emma," Erik spoke quickly, his voice slightly more curt than he had intended for it to be. "When Shaw has been defeated then I shall allow for us to think this way. Until then we take each day as it comes and have no plan."

"Do I get a say in this?" she wondered aloud, snapping slightly at him as he rolled onto his back, dropping her hand from his as she sat up, looking down at him and he closed his eyes.

"Don't ruin this, Emma," he begged her. "We need to see what will happen. You must understand?"

Emma pursed her lips, her teeth grinding themselves together as she finally lay back down beside him, her head snuggling into the pillow as she reached for the light switch quickly and the room was covered in a dark veil. Erik remained still, his eyes opening and moving to the side where Emma had turned onto her side, facing away from him.

"Are you going to answer me?" he whispered, turning onto his side too and wrapping his arm over her waist, his head behind hers and his breath tickling on her pale skin.

"You're right," she agreed. "I know you're right. We should maybe just go to sleep."

"Are you staying?"

"Do you want me to go?"

"Answer my question."

"You answer mine."

"I think you should be quiet and go to sleep."

"If you insist."

"I do."

"Goodnight, Erik."

"Goodnight, Emma."

...

Charles stood on the gravel with Hank, waiting for him to lap him once again which he did promptly. He saw Emma and Erik walking together, close but not close enough so that they were touching each other. Erik had his eyes looking onto the ground as Emma looked at him and she laughed about something and he smiled to the floor. Charles raised his brow, his fingers twitching and resisting the urge to move onto his temple to find out what was happening between them. He was confused indeed. As soon as Hank moved back to see him he told him what an excellent job he had made and then called Erik over from the stone seat where he was sat with Emma. The metal bender stood up before walking over to Charles in his sweats and standing in front of him, placing his hands onto his hips.

"Quite a cosy little scene," Charles informed Erik who rolled his eyes quickly.

"I don't need your approval for this, Charles," Erik said to the telepath who snorted once. "I like your sister and I don't care if you are uncomfortable with it but...you're...well...understanding would be nice. It is mainly so that we don't have to be awkward about this."

Charles looked over at Emma who opened up the book which she had brought out and she began to read through it, occasionally looking across to her brother and Erik as they spoke, wondering what they were talking about.

"I am warning you not to hurt her," Charles said, trying to be serious as Erik looked at him with a frown and then burst out laughing as Charles did the same thing, bending over and then patting his friend on the back once as they moved over onto the grass, still chuckling about Charles's failure to threaten people.

"Emma is old enough to decide what she wants," Charles promised him. "I just care for her deeply and that is all."

"I am aware," Erik nodded. "So what is the plan for today?"

"You need to channel your energy, Erik," Charles spoke clearly, pointing at the large satellite at the end of the lawn as Erik's eyes went large and his eyebrows rose onto his forehead whilst he shook his head.

"Are you serious?" he checked.

"You did lift a submarine, Erik," Charles said.

"But that was during the time when I had anger," Erik said, his hands frantically moving around his body as Charles continued to argue with him over the matter, his head moving back and forth quickly. "I need the situation. It has gotten me through everything all the time."

"It has almost got you killed all this time," Charles said. "I believe you need to find the place between rage and serenity, Erik. I think that is the key."

...

Emma looked at the backs of the two men by the stone ledge as Erik outstretched his hands and Emma wondered what he was trying to move and she frowned. There were only trees and grass and nothing made from metal. And then she saw the satellite. Surely he would not be able to move that. But then she recalled him and a submarine and maybe he had it in him. Emma turned the corner of her books page before crossing her legs and making sure her skirt covered her thighs as she watched Charles press his fingers to his temple. Time seemed to go extremely quickly as Erik moved out his hands, pulling the satellite around and Emma watched with large eyes, unable to believe that he had just managed to do it.

"The President is about to make his speech!" Moira suddenly yelled out from an open window and Charles patted Erik on the back, rushing about. Erik followed him slowly, holding his arm out in order for Emma to come along and grab it. She stood up from her seat, taking hold of his hand as they moved into the mansion.

"How did you do that?" she squeaked out, surprise in her voice and Erik looked at her and grinned.

"The point between rage and serenity, apparently," he informed Emma. "Charles found a...a memory...it helped me achieve that point."

Erik squeezed onto Emma's hand, recalling the moment his mother had been with him and he realised that he had become emotional from what had just happened. The Xavier's were certainly messing with the emotions which he liked to keep hidden.

...

A/N: Thank you so very much to everyone who has reviewed so far! Means a lot guys! Keep on reviewing as we draw to the conclusion soon!


	14. Chapter 14

"Soviet's, American's," Charles shook his head, moving a chess piece quickly before picking up his glass of whiskey and drinking some of it, the sensation burning his throat as it went down. "They are all the same. Peace is more desirable than war."

Erik watched his friend as he sat back, his eyes shutting quickly and squeezing their lids shut before he opened them, shaking his head as he did so. Erik slowly moved his own glass to rest on the table behind him, leaning forward and clasping his hands together, observing the chessboard whilst thinking of something to say to Charles.

"And by tomorrow they will know of our existence," Erik mumbled. "The majority of them will fear us. They will identify us and then categorise us into our own section."

"The main priority is to stop Shaw," Charles replied whilst Erik knocked over his chess piece. The telepath leant back; crossing his legs quickly as he did so and Erik chuckled lightly at what he had heard his friend just say.

"I'm not going to stop Shaw," Erik spoke, his voice low and dangerous as he picked up his glass again. "I'm going to kill him. Do you have it in your heart to allow that?"

The two men continued to stare at each other before Charles leant forward again, his hands resting on his legs as he looked at Erik through narrowed eyes, twitching his foot as he did so.

"Killing Shaw will not bring you peace, my friend," he replied in a drawl to which Erik bared his teeth, a grin taking form on his face as he looked at Charles.

"Peace was never an option."

"You need to be the better man," Charles appealed to his better nature. "You need to do the right thing here, Erik."

"Killing him is the right thing," Erik spoke, downing the remainder of the alcohol in his glass before placing it onto the floor beside him. The flames from the fireplace threw heat out onto the two men, their flames flickering on their clothes. "I have waited for many years for this moment, Charles."

"I can understand why you are so angry-"

"-You don't," Erik snapped quickly, shaking his head whilst he closed his eyes. "You do not understand anything, Charles. And besides, I thought you may want revenge on him?"

Charles remained silent, taking in what he had just been told and he thought about the situation for a few seconds.

"You do not need to become a killer, Erik."

"It is too late for that."

"I've seen what you have done. But you can change your ways."

"All I want is to kill Shaw," Erik spoke curtly back to his fellow mutant. "He almost had your sister murdered, Charles. Can you honestly tell me that you don't want revenge?" he asked of him and Charles pursed his plump red lips together, his blue eyes thinking thoughtfully at what had just been asked of him.

"He killed my mother. That is all there is to it," Erik said, his hand quickly slicing through the air to indicate that the conversation was indeed over. Charles pushed his hair behind his ears, all the time his eyes never left Erik's as they pleaded for him to see sense.

"Have you told Emma of this plan?" he enquired and he saw Erik wince, turning his eyes away and looking onto the fireplace.

"I think she already has an incline as to what I intend to do. I will not give up in this vendetta for her, Charles. Nothing can stop me from achieving the aim which has been in my sights for so long." He warned Charles. The elder Xavier sighed gently, his breathing sucking in and then releasing before his brain began to work overtime.

"I don't know how she will feel about this, Erik," he warned Lensherr who snorted once, his eyes boring into the fire place with immense hatred at the mere thought of the man who had murdered his mother. Charles's opinion was irrelevant to all of this and if Emma did not care for this to happen then he would have to let her go so soon after he had managed to get through to her.

"I have killed before, Charles," Erik said, his teeth gritted together so the sentence just managed to come out as he said it. "I have murdered in cold blooded revenge."

"I am aware."

"So why do you think I will have an issue killing Shaw?" he snapped louder than he had meant to, his head swivelling back to look at Charles who raised his palms to show he meant no harm in the conversation.

"I don't think it is an issue. I just don't think it will bring you happiness which you require. You said it yourself, we need to be the better men," Charles urged him and Erik shook his head, pushing himself up from the chair and looking back at Charles, his eyes wide and his mouth parted slightly.

"I don't want Emma to know what I have done in the past, Charles. I think it her right to know but I don't intend on telling her unless she asks. I shall inform her about my plan to kill Shaw and she can make her own mind up. Do you think you can let me do that?"

Charles took in Erik's words, leaning back in his chair again and crossing his legs, his hands wrapping themselves together as he thought about what had just been asked of him and he briefly gave one nod.

...

"Tomorrow," Emma muttered as she lay on Raven's bed. Erik and Charles had gone down into the library to play chess and drink alcohol whilst Emma had said she would stay with Raven who was in her natural blue form, sat on the end of her bed and flipping through a magazine which she had purchased at the airport but had not had chance to read.

"So are you coming with us or what?" Raven wondered, knowing what the answer would be but needing to hear it from her own sister's lips. Emma closed her eyes, resting her hands onto her stomach, feeling her breathing come out as she thought about what Raven had just asked her and what the best possible way to word the answer would be.

"I have to," Emma murmured. "I don't think I would be able to sit here and do nothing. I have you, Charles and Erik in that fight."

"Erik," Raven snorted once, flipping a page quickly and rolling her yellow eyes as she did so. "I fail to believe how close you two have become now. It is basically unreal."

"I don't even know what is going on," Emma admitted and sat up quickly, tucking her hair behind her ears as she looked at her sister. "But I am going to go to bed now."

"I will see you in the morning then," Raven nodded once as Emma stood up and looked back at her sister, smiling quickly, trying her upmost to hide the nerves coursing through her body at the thought of the day which lurked ahead of them. She wouldn't sleep. She couldn't sleep.

"No matter what happens," Emma began, looking at her sister through her blue eyes, "I love you, Raven."

The blue creature looked back at Emma as she shut her magazine and she nodded once, trying not to cry as she saw Emma look like she was about to well up. The hard rock of a sister she had was finally coming to terms with emotion.

"Don't be going soft on me now, Emma Xavier," she warned her and Emma chuckled as she walked over to the door. "But I do love you too."

...

"Erik," Emma jumped back when she opened the door to her room and turned on the light. Her heart did somersaults as Erik remained sat in the chair by her window, his eyes shut and his head titled back slightly in the darkness. "You scared the living daylights out of me."

"Sorry," he mumbled, opening his eyes and watching her as she shut the door and made her way over to her dressing table, removing the pins from her hair and placing them down gently, realising it could be the last time she did it. Gulping once, she turned back to look at Erik as he narrowed his eyes in focus on her bed and she placed a hand onto her side as she sighed at him.

"What's on your mind?" she enquired and his eyes went wide, his brow raised before he chuckled once.

"You're not stupid," he assured her and she coughed in disbelief.

"I came top of my class with my history degree, Erik Lensherr. I am anything but stupid," she spoke, sounding cocky but Erik simply smiled at her, unable to do anything but that as she made her way over to him, kneeling before him and picking up his hand which rested on his lap as he bent forward, looking into her concerned eyes. "What's wrong?"

"You do know what I intend to do tomorrow, don't you?"

"You intend to stop Shaw and save the world," she shrugged. "Just like the others."

"I am not just going to stop him, Emma," Erik drawled. "I'm going to kill him."

Emma blinked quickly, thinking about what he had just said to her and she nodded slowly but firmly and Erik's face turned into one of confusion at the motion which she was making.

"You agree?" he asked, slightly shocked and Emma looked at him, creases forming in her forehead as her eyes rested onto his lap and she thought about what he had just said.

"He killed your mother," she said and Erik winced at the memory as Emma realised she maybe shouldn't have said that. "I can understand why you want to kill him. I would feel the same way if anyone even hurt Charles or Raven."

"Your brother seems to think words are more powerful than actions."

"He is also an intellectual with a love for dead poets," Emma said blandly back to Erik. "He doesn't understand what you've been through, Erik. I wouldn't mind killing Shaw myself."

Erik chuckled, outstretching his hand and stroking the back of her cheek as he did so.

"I've been waiting eighteen years," he whispered back to her. "I think you should let me take care of him."

"That's my intention." She stood back up, pulling the covers to her bed back as Erik watched her and he looked at the clock on the wall, thinking that it was probably time he got some sleep before tomorrow.

"You're staying with me tonight," Emma said as if she had read his mind. Erik stood up and made his way over to the bed. He was all ready for a good night sleep as he grinned cheekily, his eyebrow raising as he watched Emma fluff the pillows up.

"Do I get a say in this?" he enquired from her.

"Not when there is a chance we could possibly die tomorrow," she retorted quickly.

"You're not going to die," Erik spoke brashly. "No one apart from Shaw and his cronies will die."

"I adore your optimism." Emma muttered.

"And I adore your backside," Erik mumbled, hoping she didn't hear him as she climbed into the bed and he took to the other side. As soon as he was laid down, shuffling into the pillows he felt her hit him on the arm as she turned her back to him.

"I did hear that," she whispered and Erik chuckled deeply, rolling over and holding her closer to him, unbeknown to him that this would be the last night he would spend with Emma Xavier.

...

A/N: To all of my reviewers I simply say thank you very much. Please do review and let me know what you think! A few more chapters to come from this so keep on the lookout guys! But do review!


	15. Chapter 15

Emma lay awake later on in the evening, her eyes open and peering into the darkness of her childhood room as she felt Erik lay beside her closely, his breathing so close to her and tickling her neck as a snore erupted from his muscular body every now and then.

'_Emma.'_

'_What is it Charles?'_

'_I was wondering...I know it is two in the morning...but can you please come and speak to me?'_

'_Give me five.'_

Emma ended the conversation with Charles before slowly untangling herself from the web which Erik had created around her. It seemed the quieter she attempted to be then the louder she actually was. Snores came from him still, the noise loud and deep as he jostled around in the sheets around his body. Emma stood up quickly, reaching for her dressing gown and moving into it as Erik snorted loudly and then rolled onto his other side, stuffing his hand under his pillow. Emma rolled her eyes at his motions before quietly slipping out of the room, moving with haste down the hall to where Charles was. The mansion was eerily quiet at night time. That had always been the one thing which Emma had hated about it. It seemed so big and the space in between their family was always represented by its vastness. She had protested multiple times about having a room closer to her brother's so that she could easily see him.

"Ah," Charles said; a wide smile on his face when he saw his sister move into his room. "You came."

"I couldn't sleep anyway," she shrugged. Charles was still fully clothed as he sat in the armchair by the massive bookshelf, a book in his hand as he tried to read it in the dim light emitted by his lamp. Emma settled herself on the window seat, the sound a harsh wind coming through the glass as she curled into a ball, yawning as she wrapped her arms around her knees and looked at her brother.

"No," he drawled. "I couldn't get to sleep either. I suppose I don't want to sleep anyway."

"Erik is snoring so he's keeping me up too," Emma explained. "I could swear he snores enough to bring the cows home."

"He is in your room?" Charles asked; a slender brow arched on his pale forehead as he waited for his sister to respond to the question which he had just asked her. He gently set his book down onto his lap as Emma bit her lip and rested her chin onto her bony kneecaps.

"We are going into a war tomorrow, Charles," Emma muttered. "I'm not a child either."

"My darling," Charles chuckled at her, pinching his nose shut as he shook his head, unable to believe what was happening. "I still cannot help but think of you as my little, naive, sister."

"Brilliant," Emma snorted loudly before she saw Charles smile sadly to the floor and she knew in that instant that something was wrong with him. "What's up?"

"Nothing," he denied to her and she narrowed her eyes into his and he finally sighed, giving in and undoing another button to his shirt as he folded his legs bullishly. "I had a disagreement with Raven."

"Charles," Emma complained to him and he stood up, his hands resting onto his hips as he moved up and down his room, pacing by the side of his bed before his hair flopped in front of his eyes and his cheeks turned a tinge of red. "What happened?"

"She came down in her blue form which I don't mind...but she...she was completely infuriated with me for some reason which I do not know. She then proceeded to yell at me about how she thought it would be us three against the world but we wanted to be part of it. I don't know what I did to her but she doesn't seem to be as close to me as before."

"She's just going through a stage, Charles," Emma shrugged at him. "She wants to be accepted and she doesn't think she ever will be. She just needs to see that she is beautiful. The colour of her skin should have nothing to do with anything."

"Well I mean...I cannot help but think that she has been spending...well listening..."

"Oh Charles," Emma snapped at her brother, an exasperated sigh moving through her lips as she closed her eyes in annoyance. "Can you please spit it out?"

"I think Erik has been talking to her," he blurted out, finally managing to stand still.

"Do you not think he has a point?" Emma enquired, looking out the window as she heard the wind howl louder than usual and she spoke to the darkness. "Raven shouldn't need to hide."

"I agree with that," Charles spoke with a click of his fingers. "But I do not want her to end up thinking that humans are inferior to her like...well..."

"I know what Erik thinks of humans," Emma said, turning her head to look back at Charles quickly. "You don't need to spare my feelings. I also know what he plans to do tomorrow in regards to Shaw."

"And you're okay with it?" Charles replied. He settled himself down on the edge of his bed, leaning forwards and clasping his hands together as he watched Emma untangle herself from the position which she had found herself in.

"Yes," she yawned, placing a small hand over her mouth as she opened her jaw wide and then shut it again. "I wouldn't mind sticking a bullet through his head myself."

"Don't speak with such violence, Emma," Charles pleaded her with a shake of his head. "And you still plan to come along?"

"You can try to stop me-"

"-I don't need to try. I actually can-"

"-And when you came back I would then kill you for myself." Emma concluded and Charles grinned lopsidedly at her as she smirked back at him, sitting beside him on his bed and resting her head onto his shoulder. "I know what you think about Erik and his plan. He's a good man, Charles. I...I...he's done bad things before...I think I know that...but he's no monster."

"I would not disagree with that, my love," Charles promised her. "I just think he needs to be the better man."

"It is sometimes not possible to be that," she said to her brother as she took in the scent of his neatly pressed shirt on his body and moved closer to him as he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her tightly to him. "I should maybe get back to my room, Charles."

"Can you not stay here for a bit?" Charles replied. "Besides, brother trumps metal bending man who you've only just started actually speaking to in a civilised manner." He mumbled as he closed his eyes, trying to let his body relax slightly. Emma chuckled lightly at him before wrapping her arms around his waist.

"So why did you make me come here?" Emma whispered.

"I just wanted to see you before tomorrow...I am optimistic that we will stop Shaw but I just wanted to be with you for a bit..." Charles said, trying his best to not sound pessimistic about tomorrow but Emma rolled her eyes at what he had said to her.

"So what?" she pondered. "You wanted to see me before we die tomorrow?"

"I didn't say we were going to die," Charles groaned.

"But you know it is possible."

"It is possible every day."

"The odds are more favourable tomorrow then."

"Erik has already informed me that he or I shall keep close to you tomorrow but he does not want you with him when he kills Shaw." Charles informed her of the plan which he and Erik had devised earlier.

"Shall we just worry about that tomorrow?" Emma mumbled. "Your plan may be foiled depending on circumstances."

"My plans are always successful."

"Keep telling yourself that, Charles."

...

"You look fine," Erik spoke to Emma as she stood in her room after Erik had brought her suit up for the day. She had moved into her en-suite, changing into the grey material whereas Erik wore a bright yellow suit with hints of blue to it. Emma looked him up and down and grimaced. Even when he wore a stupid suit to survive extreme G force he managed to look pretty good. He was smirking as he saw her look of distaste as she pulled the grey bits over her body, looking into her mirror.

"I look awful," she complained. "Did Moira look just as terrible?"

Erik rolled his eyes, folding his arms as he walked around her room, looking out into the sunny day and onto the estate.

"She looked fine. You look fine too. We are going into a war, Emma. This isn't a fashion parade," he reminded her and she huffed once, turning back to look at Erik, her hair tied in a bobble at the back of her head as she glared at Erik.

"If I am going into a war then I want to look okay. I don't want to die looking like a mess."

"How many times do I need to tell you that you won't die?" Erik asked; his voice coated in slight frustration as he stepped back from the window. "No one is going to get hurt."

"And you know that for a fact?" Emma hissed. "I'm not arguing with you over this, Erik. We can fight another day."

"Oh I do hope so," Erik smirked at her and she blushed gently under his gaze. His smirk became wider before he chuckled and looked at the floor. "We should go then, Emma. We need to get to the airbase."

Erik began to move over to the door but Emma grabbed onto his hand before he could move any further. He looked down at her, his eyebrow raised as she held his fingers in her grasp tightly. He placed his hand onto her cheek, his fingers on her soft, pale skin.

"I just figured that you should maybe kiss me in here before we go out to find Charles. He wouldn't appreciate the sight," Emma spoke, nonchalantly and Erik chuckled before going through with her command quickly.

...

A/N: Nearly there guys! Thanks to my reviewers and let me know what you think!


	16. Chapter 16

"Eye-spy with my little eye," Emma began as she folded her arm and stood with Raven in the corner of the airfield, waiting for the doors to the large, tin shed to open up so that they could see their method of transportation. Erik and Charles were discussing things as per usual whilst Alex and Sean mucked around, trying to forget about the battle which they were about to go into. Hank was nowhere to be seen either which they all found to be odd. Raven turned her beady yellow eyes onto Emma and frowned at her.

"What are you doing?" she wondered. "We are about to go into a war. And I know the letter begins with p so it is a plane."

Emma frowned, jutting her chin out before looking onto the plane in question.

"Spoil sport," she informed her sister who chuckled gently.

"You shouldn't look at the object before you say the letter. It gives the game away," Raven promised her and Emma looked over to Erik and Charles who were stern looking, no sign of emotion of their face at all.

"Charles told me that you and he had a little chat last night," Emma muttered, looking up at Raven who rolled her eyes, sighing in exasperation as she did so.

"Of course he told you," she huffed. "It was nothing."

"Are you sure?" Emma replied. "He was particularly upset over it if you were to ask me."

"I spoke with him this morning."

"When?"

"Through his head. Everything is okay. We can't go into a war with negative feelings, can we?" Raven grimaced and began to make her way over to the rest of the team as the doors opened. All of them were in awe at what they saw sat on the cold concrete. Emma took her place beside her brother who rubbed her arm for a moment and then she felt Erik stand close to her, their arms brushing together.

"That's pretty bad arse," Sean nodded, looking extremely terrified yet extremely excited at the same time.

"Thank you for your input, Sean," Charles muttered before Raven stood next to Emma, looking around the base.

"Where's Hank?"

Erik turned to look at her, his face showing signs of confusion before a voice rang out through the airbase and they all turned to the direction of which it came from.

"I'm here."

Emma kept her eyes focused on him as he walked up but her mind became boggled as he came closer into view. The expectance would be to see the lanky doctor with his glasses continuously slipping off of his nose but this vision was something much different indeed. He was broader and his hair seemed to stick out in every direction all across his body whilst Raven began to smile, finally seeing him fully as he stood before, his eyes cast down onto the ground and his mouth in a thin line.

"It didn't work," he spoke to Raven. "It enhanced the genes and made it worse."

"No it didn't," Raven said quickly, sincerity obvious in her voice as she held onto Hank's arm. "This is who you are."

Emma couldn't help but grin gently at what she was seeing. Her sister had finally connected with someone and he was a good and smart man unlike the usual dunderheads she picked up back in Oxford. Hank cared about her and she cared about him.

"Never looked better mate," Erik decided to speak; his voice sounding reasonable but everyone knew that he could sound genuine but be utterly sarcastic. Hank lashed out quickly, his hand wrapping around Erik's neck as he growled lowly and Erik struggled, turning red in his hold.

"Hank!" Emma snapped at the blue creature as she tried to push his arm from Erik.

"Hank. Stop that," Charles demanded, his voice more reasonable and calm unlike Emma's which was slightly hysteric at the sight of Hank almost strangling Erik to death.

"Don't mock me," Hank warned Erik before dropping him and the metal bender tumbled to the floor, kneeling down on it as his hand wrapped around his own throat.

"I wasn't," Erik replied back to him with his face full of anger and annoyance as Emma grabbed onto his hand and helped him back up to his feet as Sean stepped forward, looking at Hank.

"Are you sure you can fly this thing?" he checked, gulping once so that his small Adam's apple bobbed up and back down as Hank snarled again, managing to tear his hateful stare off of Erik who had Emma fussing around him and making sure he was okay.

"Of course I can," Hank snapped, infuriated someone would suggest anything otherwise. "I designed it."

"We should be going then," Charles nodded and clapped his hands once, his mouth stern and his face showing concern for the teenagers as they were the first to board it. Charles followed after nodding at Emma and made his way over to Moira to inform her of the plan which he had devised.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Emma checked with Erik who nodded, brushing her off from him as he smirked at her.

"I've had much worse," he promised her. "Come on. We don't want to keep the other's waiting for this. Do we?"

"I suppose not," she murmured and Erik began to stride forward, reaching the ladder onto the plane before making sure it was sturdy and safe to climb. He held onto one metal pole and stood to the side, gesturing for Emma to go first which she did so. As she took the first few steps, she turned back around, looking at Erik who was ready to move his weight onto the bottom step.

"And no looking at my behind," Emma hissed down to him and he chuckled, following her up and doing exactly what she had told him not to do. He was only male after all. What did she expect? Full control and never to ogle?

"You okay?" Charles checked with his sister when he saw her move into the plane, standing in between the rows of seats and she nodded once as he quickly squeezed her hand.

"Hank designed it. The odds of it crashing are very slim, my darling," he promised her and she gulped once, pushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she took in how small the plane actually was.

"I'll be fine," she assured Charles. "I agreed to come along. I can't wimp out now, can I?"

"We haven't set off yet. There is still time for you to go," Charles implored her and she managed a small smile before kissing his cheek swiftly.

"I'm not going anywhere," she assured him as Moira called out his name, summoning him to her and he did not resist, moving like a lapdog in love as she looked back at him with her wide and innocent eyes.

"Comfy seats anyway," Erik mumbled, taking a seat beside Raven who was looking into the cockpit where Hank was setting up the plane and Emma sat beside Erik, looking at the straps which fastened her into the plane with slight apprehension and mere confusion. Erik grinned, standing back up and moving over her, pulling the straps down over her body. His hand brushed against her covered skin but it was still enough to make her blush, especially when he neared her thigh and then quickly kissed her forehead before sitting himself back down.

"Are we ready?" Charles enquired, sitting next to Emma and rubbing his hands as the engine began to rumble into life. Erik looked over to where Charles was sat and he closed his eyes briefly, taking hold of Emma's hand and kissing the back of it as she shut her eyes, feeling the plane jostle forward quickly and her breathing became shallow. Charles simply rested his finger to his temple and Erik knew what he was doing. He was trying to calm his sister down and it was working considering she wasn't screaming out in fear of her life.

...

"It looks a little messy down there," Hank informed them all as they flew over the water. Emma dared to risk a peek out of the window as she saw the trails of where the battleships were. Taking a deep breath she felt the plane dip and dive down closer to the water as Charles pressed his hand to his temple in order to gain a better look of the situation. He suddenly blinked quickly, wincing in slight pain as he did so and he looked over at Erik.

"Shaw has been down to the Aral Sea crew," Charles informed him. "They're all dead."

"He's still here. We just need to find him," Erik spoke, his voice sounding as if he were pleading with Charles to do something.

"We don't have sonar," Emma informed them as Sean quickly began to look up, his eyes narrowed and his serious face plastered onto his features.

"Oh yes we do," he spoke, sounding enthused as Charles quickly stood up after agreeing with him. Erik stood up, following him as Emma remained seated, her stomach feeling queasy as she watched the three males move over to the doors near the end of the plane. Raven moved from her seat, occupying Erik's vacant one as she buckled in, looking at Emma as she did so.

"You look a pale as a ghost," she informed her sister who snorted once, closing her eyes as she felt a gust of wind wipe through the air.

"I don't know how much longer my stomach can keep the contents of breakfast," she spoke crudely and Raven couldn't help but chuckle as Emma looked at her questioningly and she shook her head, pushing her blonde hair behind her ears as she did so.

"I've never heard you speak so...unladylike...it is quite something..."

"Rather," Emma spoke, not bothering to challenge her previous statement. Emma looked across quickly, her eyes darting out as she saw Erik lower himself from the plane on the wheel and she quickly unbuckled her belt, standing with haste and moving over to Charles, grabbing onto the sides of the plane as she did so.

"Get back to your seat," Charles commanded his sister, his arm wrapping around her waist as she knelt beside him, peering over to Erik who had his hand outstretched.

"What is he doing?" Emma said; her body tensing as she refused to leave Charles's side. He realised her stubbornness and instead kept her tight by his side as she refused to look anywhere but from Erik.

"Trying to find Shaw's submarine," he spoke quietly into her ear before pressing his finger to his temple. Emma watched on with utter amazement as Erik seemed to relax his body, his shoulders slumping downwards as a steel object began to move to the surface. Emma grabbed onto Charles's arm in utter disbelief at what Erik was doing.

"I can't believe it," Emma muttered and Charles smiled widely as the submarine finally fully emerged from the water and moved though the air with haste as Hank forced the plane to accelerate further and faster.

"Oh dear," Charles whispered, leaning down and reaching for Erik's hand as they saw a faint man in a purple suit move onto the roof of the submarine. Although he may not have been visible his power certainly was. A large gust of wind blew from his hands and it moved closer to the plane.

"It's going to get bumpy," Hank called out and sure enough it did become just that. Emma leant down through the hole in the plane as Charles pulled back for a second, shouting at Hank what to do.

"Give me your hand!" Emma yelled at Erik as he remained focused. He glanced back at her for a second and then turned his attention back to the large water based machine.

"I am nearly there!" Erik assured her and the plane suddenly began to spin out of control. Raven began to scream as Emma began to feel like throwing up viciously and Charles tried to pull her away from the hole.

"Erik!" Emma roared at him. "Give me your bloody hand!"

Everything then seemed to happen so fast as the beach came into view and Erik finally did what was told of him. There was a loud bang noise which sounded as if the engine of the plane had blown up. Erik grabbed onto Emma, his hand holding onto Charles's arm as they fell to the ground and began to tumble all the way around the metal walls. Erik used his powers to keep them pinned to the walls as Emma screamed into his ear, being crushed by Charles as well as Erik. As soon as the plane stopped moving Erik allowed them to fall down slowly. Charles scrambled away from him as he held onto Emma and they lay on the ground. Her head was on his chest and her breathing was ragged as she gently patted him on the stomach.

"Thanks." She muttered, sitting up and looking at Raven who was hanging upside down. Erik helped her to retrieve the red head and sit her up right as she moaned at the pain. Emma placed a hand over her mouth, quickly moving to the middle break in the plane and stumbling onto the sand, the fresh air quite a relief to her as she bent over, retching violently as she displaced the contents of her stomach onto the sand.

"I can only hold Shaw for so long!" Charles yelled out whilst Emma turned around, hitting herself lightly on the face to try and get her to come out of the daze which she found herself in. Erik climbed from the plane, seeing Emma and then looking across to where Shaw's cronies were moving from.

"What are you doing?" she worried, noting the look which he had in his eyes. She knew he needed revenge but the thought of what could happen to him scared her terribly. Erik quickly placed his hands onto her hips, drawing her closer to him and wiping off a bit of dirt from her pale cheek. He quickly kissed her on the top of the head and looked into her eyes sternly.

"Go back inside," he commanded from her as Hank and Alex emerged onto the beach. Emma looked at Erik, trying to shake her head but unable to find herself from doing so. "I've got this."

"I...Erik..."

"I'll be careful," Erik said, his voice sounding impatient as he placed his hand onto the small of her back and steered her in the direction of the plane. "Just go inside."

"Emma!" Charles shouted her name and she saw him knelt by a window with Moira by his side. "We don't have time for your worrying, my love. Now come and settle down with Raven."

"I'll be back," Erik assured her, a cocky wink moving in her direction as she finally did as was told of her and took a stance beside Raven, looking out of the window to where the three mutants in Shaw's team began to make their move.

"He's in," Emma muttered a moment later as Charles pressed two fingers to his forehead and they watched the submarine with anticipation.

"What do you mean he's not there?" Charles snapped at Erik through silent conversation. "He has to be. Keep looking."

Emma watched her brother for a brief second as Moira did the same and Charles closed his eyes, allowing Erik's thoughts to engulf his memory.

"Erik...once you are in the void then I can't reach you..."

"You've lost him?" Emma snapped at Charles, knowing it wasn't her brother's fault but feeling hopeless as she knew Erik was in there with a monster. "I'm going in."

"No!" Charles yelled at her. "You cannot go in, Emma. Sit down."

"We don't know what the hell is happening but I am going to find out," she promised Charles. Before the telepath could control his mind he felt Erik rejoin his thoughts. Emma ran across the beach, her feet sticking in the sand and small strands of hair matting across her forehead as she began to sweat in the grey suit which she had been made to wear. She reached the opening in the sub which Erik had disappeared into and she looked around, heading to the centre of the vessel as she gasped for breath.

"Erik!" she called out, her voice a plea in the quiet air. She needed to find him. She couldn't leave him by himself when he was so emotionally attached about what he wanted to happen. "Erik!"

There was no answer as Emma began to move into a living area where the sofas were plump and the carpet increasingly soft even through her shoes. And then she saw it. The scene was quite something as she remained away from the glassed room, looking on as Sebastian Shaw remained frozen in the middle of the room and Erik placed a helmet onto his head.

"I want you to know that I agree with everything which you have just said." Erik spoke, his voice low and threatening whilst Emma hung back, her beady eyes watching him. "We are the superior race...but...you killed my mother."

Emma noted the coin which Erik had on him moved through the air, slowly inching towards Shaw with antagonising painful lack of pace. She wondered what was happening before the coin hit Shaw. Emma couldn't help but gasp as she saw it move into his flesh, tearing a small little cut into his head and the blood poured down his face.

"Erik," Emma whispered and the metal bender turned to face her, seeing her small and innocent face looking at him. He held his hand out and she took it as a clattering noise on the ground was heard and Shaw's body crumpled to the floor. "You've done it," Emma whispered. "It's over."

"No," Erik muttered, tearing the metal of the sub apart as he grabbed onto Emma and held her tightly against his chest, knowing what was happening in the boats outside. They were turning their guns onto them. The humans were going against them and Emma was one of them. She would not agree with what he planned to do, just like he knew Charles was going to turn against him for this. He ran a hand down her black ponytail and his chin moved onto her head as she wondered why he had become sentimental all of a sudden. "We need to go."

Erik placed his arm around Emma, raising Shaw's body from the ground and allowing it to hover outside before he dropped it. Erik lowered the pair of them from the boat as the other mutant's stepped back, allowing Charles to take the lead.

"Today our fighting stops," Erik yelled and he released Emma as soon as they hit the ground. She watched him with wonder and intent as he moved closer to the shoreline where the water was lapping on the golden beach.

"The humans are turning against us. I can feel their weapons targeting us. Soviet's. Americans. They are all against us. Go on, tell me that I'm wrong, Charles," Erik demanded and Charles pressed a finger to his temple before looking at Moira and nodding at her. She scuttled off whilst Emma's eyes went wide and she stumbled forwards, standing in between of Erik and Charles. She looked onto the ships as Erik and Charles did the same thing. Before they could say anymore there was a sudden noise of shots through the air as missiles moved towards the beach.

"Charles," Emma whispered, moving closer to her brother as Erik held his hand out, the helmet on his head making him seem more menacing than normal as the missiles moved closer to the beach. Before they could hit, Emma managed to control her sobs and latch onto Charles. Erik suddenly stopped the missiles and they hovered in midair.

"Erik," Emma spoke his name clearly as she saw the hate visible in his dark eyes. "Don't do that."

The missiles quickly began to turn and Charles stepped in front of his sister, looking at Erik with pleading.

"There are good, honest people on those ships. They are just following orders."

And then Erik changed, his eyes bearing into Charles's as he gritted his teeth together and his posture turned rigid.

"I've been at the mercy of men following orders. Never again," he spoke and then sent the missiles back on their way towards the humans. Emma couldn't believe what he was doing. He was killing innocent people. He was killing people like her. Charles was the one to rush forward, tackling Erik to the ground, his hands trying to remove the helmet from his hands.

"I don't want to hurt you!" Erik snapped, pinning Charles down as Emma made her move, falling into the sand and grabbing Erik's arm, pulling him from her brother as she turned red with anger. The pair of them rolled in the sand until Emma was pinned underneath of Erik and he looked at her, the pair of them staring at each other for a moment and knowing what was happening.

"You're not a part of this, Emma," Erik informed her and she wriggled under his weight.

"You're murdering people who don't deserve this!" she snapped, slapping him quickly around the face as Charles launched at him again, getting him off of Emma before he snapped like a twig. The noise of bullets was then heard and Emma sat up, looking at Moira who was firing at Erik but he deflected them with ease, advancing over to her. But Emma didn't hear anymore except from the yell from her brother. Charles grabbed onto his back with both hands, tumbling to his knees as Raven clasped her hands over her mouth and Emma tried not to cry.

"Charles!" she yelled out, crawling to his side and then pulling him into her lap, trying to ignore the sound of his yelps as she pushed his hair from his face. "Oh my God...Charles..."

"Stay back!" Erik yelled to the other mutant's, falling to Charles's side by Emma who looked at him with utter hatred. How could he have done this?

"Get away!" she yelled at Erik, moving her hands from Charles and pushing against Erik's chest. The metal bender allowed her actions and looked at her as she sobbed uncontrollably. His face showed remorse and pain. What had he done? "Get away from him right now! You...you...monster."

"Emma," Charles whispered her name. "Calm down, love."

"No!" she yelled back. "He shot you! He shot you...are you happy now? You've finally managed to ruin everything?"

"No," Erik hissed back at her. "I'm sorry-"

"-Save it!" she interrupted him. "Your apologies mean nothing, Erik!"

"This is your fault," Erik suddenly spoke, his glare turning onto Moira as he stood up and began to choke her with her necklace.

"No," Charles hollered. "It is not her fault."

"It is yours," Emma replied, her voice hoarse and her mouth dry as Erik turned back to look at them. "This is your entire fault, Erik. We don't want the same things as you...why did you do this? Why did you?"

"They won't accept us," Erik informed Emma and she looked pityingly at him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

"I accepted you," she replied. "Was that not enough?"

Erik didn't say anything back to her and she knew it quite clearly was not enough. He wanted more than her and she didn't want him after what she had just seen. She could never have him.

"The humans have played their card," Erik called out. "Now we play ours. Who is with me?"

Emma didn't even listen to him as he asked the other mutant's what they wanted as she focused on making sure Charles was safe in her hold. The next thing she registered was Raven kneel down and she looked at her sister who was looking at Charles.

"You should go with him," he told her. "It is what you've always wanted."

"What?" Emma snapped, looking from Charles and then back to Raven. "You can't go...why would you go? You're home is with us...Raven..."

"I thought you said you would never read my mind," Raven murmured back to Charles, ignoring Emma as she did so and the black haired girl looked even more confused and upset.

"I promised you a great deal of things, I'm afraid," Charles replied in a mutter, kissing the back of her hand.

"No," Emma cleared her throat. "You cannot do this, Raven. You can't go with him...you have to stay with us..."

"Staying with you means never being accepted," Raven spoke to her sister. "I cannot deal with that, Em. Nothing you say will change my mind."

"You had us...and Hank...don't do this..." Emma begged her sister who leant across Charles and kissed Emma on the cheek before she stood up.

"Look after him, Em..." she simply said. "You two need each other."

"And we need you," Emma spoke and Raven shook her head.

"No you don't," she promised her, taking hold of Erik's hand.

Emma and Charles watched on as Erik took hold of Raven and the other mutant's from Shaw's team held onto each other's hand. Emma looked on as Erik looked back at her, neither of them needing to say anything to each other for the time for words was too late. He had acted out in the worst way imaginable and Emma would never be able to forgive him. With a simple pop they were gone in a flash. Erik had left. Raven had left. She had to focus on Charles. She couldn't lose him either.

"We're getting you out of here," Emma promised her brother, trying to help him stand but he remained on the ground, yelling in pain.

"I can't," he complained. "I can't feel my legs...Emma...I can't feel them..."

Horror stricken took over Emma as Charles looked at her, equally as worried for the first time in his life as she felt unable to comfort him for they both knew comfort would not work.

...

A/N: I do have an epilogue on the way so stay tuned but please do review! Thank you!


	17. Chapter 17

Emma held her hands tightly onto the handles of the wheelchair in front of her five days after the beach incident. She squeezed down on the handles as hard as she could, unable to believe that she was actually doing this. Everything seemed surreal in her life at that moment and the only emotion which she showed was hatred or fear. Charles sat in the chair, closing his eyes and enjoying the sunlight on his pale face as his mouth parted gently, the feeling of fresh air much more preferred than that of the clean, hospital atmosphere. Emma stopped pushing him when they reached the side of the mansion and she placed a slender arm under Charles's shoulders, helping him out of his chair and to sit on the bench underneath the library window.

"Thank you," Charles spoke to his sister as he settled himself onto the bench. She took a seat beside him, folding her legs and straightening out her dress on her thighs as she looked down onto her lap and Charles looked across to her, not even knowing what to say. "Anger is an emotion which is never good to store up," he murmured across to her as she played with her fingers aimlessly. "Emma, you need-"

"-I'm fine," she interrupted him quickly, finally looking into his concerned blue orbs before nodding sternly at him. "I'm okay."

"It does not take an idiot to see that you are anything but _okay_," Charles told her, hissing the last word. "Holding a grudge against Erik will not help you."

"What else am I supposed to do?" Emma snapped at her brother, shrugging violently as she squinted in the sunlight. "Do you expect me to forgive him for what he has done to you, Charles? He hurt you and he…he…look what he became, Charles. He was willing to kill innocent people. He is not worth anything to me anymore."

"Oh my love," Charles chuckled out and Emma raised a brow, her features turning to confused as she looked at him and he looked down onto his lap. "What you truly feel for Erik is something which you will never be able to forget, regardless of the bad things which he has done."

"I want to forget about him," Emma whispered, looking to the satellite which Erik had managed to turn. Everything in the manor used to remind her about her childhood. But now everything reminded her of Erik. "I know what you plan to do to Moira. You intend to wipe her mind clean."

"No," Charles said curtly, shaking his head at his sister. "That is for Moira's safety. You shall not endure the same fate as her."

"I…wouldn't it be better? Would life not be better to forget that I ever met him?" Emma wondered, trying not to cry as she spoke to her brother. "I want one moment's thought where he isn't involved, Charles. I want to stop thinking about him. Is that so bad?"

"No my darling," Charles promised, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and cradling him to her as she took hold of one of his hands and rested her head just to the side of his chest. "Erik Lensherr played a large part in your life. We all suffer traumas but time is the antidote needed to heal them."

…

Emma left Charles with Moira when she saw the agent make her way over to them, smiling widely and trying to be supportive for Charles. Emma had implored him not to erase her memory but he was too stubborn. It was a Xavier trait which never failed to be seen. Emma made her way to her room, hearing the roaring noise coming from the living area where Sean and Alex must be discovering their powers. Rolling her eyes, she continued on for her room, quickly changing into sweats when she got there and then she returned down to the basement where the makeshift gym was. The concrete room was cold as Emma stepped onto the mattress, looking at the punch bag with intent. Three times a day she came down here. It was her feeble attempt to rid herself of the anger which she felt but every session ended out the same. She never failed to fall to a heap on the floor and begin crying over him.

Crying over a boy. Emma had to roll her eyes at how melodramatic it all seemed as she began to hit the bag quickly. She had never needed a relationship to make herself feel complete. She had enjoyed being with Damon at Oxford but even after they split she didn't feel like a part of her had been ripped out. It was nothing in comparison to what she was feeling. She hated Erik. She hated his curt and sarcastic manner. She hated his irritating personality which made him always right. And she hated the way he chewed gum. She had despised that to her very core. Emma didn't know how long she had been hitting the bag but she didn't even notice the door opening to the room and then shutting. She was in her own world and she knew it was safer there than to live in reality.

"You're punching wrong."

The cold voice spoke out from the edge of the blue mats. Emma immediately stopped hitting the bag, only to have it swing back at her and hit her in the face which made her stumble back and rest a hand onto her nose as she turned around quickly and saw him stood there. He was smirking. The aggravating bastard was smirking.

"Working out never was your forte," he drawled and she clenched her hands into fists as he moved a few paces closer. She wanted to shout at him. She wanted to yell at him and tell him how much she would love to place a bullet in between his eyes like he had done with a coin to Shaw. "Leave your thumb outside of your fist when you punch. There is less chance of it breaking then."

"Well come here and we can test out that theory," she spoke to him loudly, her voice shaking slightly as she said it and the smirk fell from his face and she finally took in what he was wearing. Gone was the usual attire of leather jackets and jeans and now he wore a cape. He actually wore a cape with that stupid helmet. She snorted once, folding her arms and raising a brow in his direction. "What's with the outfit?"

"It is a new me," he spoke.

"Funny," Emma drawled. "I wasn't that keen on the old you so I don't think there will be much improvement. How did you get in here?"

"Azazel is quite excellent at teleporting. The helmet is so that your brother doesn't know I'm here," Erik spoke back to her loudly, moving closer to her as she remained rooted to the spot, unwilling to move and let him see that he was getting to her.

"If he knew you were here then he wouldn't do anything," she shrugged. "He still doesn't believe in violence."

"But you do," Erik pointed at her, his face showing a lack of any emotion as he stood beside her and she remained stood and looking straight ahead as he lowered his face closer to her bare neck, inhaling the scent of sweat and Emma. "I imagine you would like nothing more than to put me into a wheelchair yourself."

Emma lashed out, quickly flinging her fist at Erik who was quick enough the grab onto her wrist, holding her wrist in the air as he brought her body closer to his so that they were touching.

"I would prefer to see you six foot under and in a coffin," she hissed bitterly to him and for a brief second his eyes clouded over, emotion getting the better of him as she snatched her skin from his hold and moved a few paces away from him. "You put my brother into a wheelchair, Erik. If you think I will ever forgive you for that then you are gravely mistaken. You hurt Charles."

"I am sorry for that," Erik said, actually managing to sound sincere as he adjusted the helmet on top of his head. "But the humans turned us against each other. Why can you not understand that?"

"Maybe because I'm a human," she shrugged at him. "You think all of society is against you when they're not, Erik. Not everyone wants to hurt you or any other mutants."

"The only way that would happen would be if we were to integrate. Why should we do that? Why should Raven hide?" he asked, dragging her sister into the conversation with the purpose of striking a chord with her, trying to get her to see that he was right. He had always been right.

"That doesn't mean you need to go around and kill innocent people like you had planned to do."

"Not every human is like you or Moira. They would categorise us away from them. I've been through hell before, Emma, I am never experiencing anything like it again." He warned her and Emma realised that he would never change his ways. He would never be different for her or anyone.

"So what do you plan to do?" she decided to ask. "What is your big plan?"

"I cannot tell you that," Erik said quickly. "If you come with me then I may tell you."

Emma laughed hysterically at his proposal, the sarcasm evident in its echoes through the room as she began to pace around the mattresses, her eyes never leaving Erik's.

"You think I would join you? You think I would turn against the rest of humans to be with you when I am what you despise? Do you honestly think that I would leave my own brother?"

"Raven did," he pointed out and Emma glowered at him for even mentioning that. "She left the family which had looked after her."

"And I cannot even begin to tell you how I actually feel about that," Emma said honestly, thinking about her sister and trying not to cry. "Raven…she…if she insists on being with you then you need to look after her, understand?"

"I can look after you too," Erik whispered. "I would make sure nothing could hurt you again."

"I don't need protection," she snarled.

"Yes you do," Erik retaliated. "You still feel something for me, Emma. I know you do."

Emma walked over to him, glaring into his eyes as she stood close to him, the heat moving from his body as she felt him reach out and mess with a strand of hair around his finger and her breathing hitched as she tried to compose herself.

"Anything which I ever felt for you was buried deep down inside of me when you almost killed my brother," she assured him. "What is to stop me from calling out for Charles now? I'm not wearing a helmet. Moira is still here. The CIA would love to talk to you."

"You wouldn't do that," Erik said confidently to her, moving his hand to her back and pulling her against him, his fingers wrapping themselves under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him and he saw her crying silently, her mouth in a firm line as she looked at him. "We both know you don't have the guts to do that, Emma."

"Don't test me," she warned him. "You ruined my life, Erik. I would do anything."

"There is nothing to stop you from calling Charles," he drawled, his mouth slowly moving down to hers as she looked into his eyes. "I'm not stopping you. You haven't done it though, have you Em? What does that tell you?"

Emma's brain kicked in as she felt his breath tickle her cheek and she removed herself from his hold, pushing him back and mentally scolding herself at what she was about to have done. Erik rested a hand onto his hip and looked across to her. She didn't want him. He had hoped somewhere deep down, that there was still a chance. That there was still a part of her which believed in him, that she didn't think he was a monster. But the little light which he held extinguished itself. Hope was something which Erik never really liked to believe in. He believed in making his own way in life but Emma Xavier was something which he would never be able to pursue on his own accord. Hope was the only thing which he had when it came to her.

"I'm not going to hand you into the CIA," Emma informed Erik, her hand resting on the handle of the gym door as she turned her back to Erik. "I can't do that to you, Erik. I don't know what they would do to you but…you're right…I don't have the guts."

Erik didn't say anything in response to her as he looked at her back and saw her gently shaking. He restrained himself from going over to her and saying anything.

"But I want you to leave me alone. I want you to leave Charles and me alone. You've caused enough damage." She warned him, turning her head back around to look at his chiselled features. He was always so composed. He thought she was a stone creature but he could easily see that he had broken past that. He had broken her and he didn't know how to feel.

"I am sure we will meet again," Erik said as she opened the door.

"I do hope not," she told him honestly. She didn't know what she would do if she were to ever lay eyes on Erik Lensherr again. "Goodbye, Erik."

"Magneto," he spoke out to her, his voice as cold as ice and as loud as possible. "I go by Magneto now."

Emma turned back to look at him as she stood in the hall to the gym in the basement and she shook her head at him, a lone tear running its way down her cheek as Erik watched it fall onto her chest and then looked back into her eyes which were watering.

"You'll always be Erik," she whispered loud enough for him to hear before she closed the door on him. She didn't give herself time to look back and she hoped that he wasn't following her. But there was a small part of her that longed for that. She wanted him to run through the doors and tell her how he felt. She wanted him to tell her that he would give this entire vendetta up. It was only a small part of her but it was dominant. She knew how selfish it was of her. She expected him to give up his beliefs for her. For a girl he had met a while ago and couldn't stand the sight of until a week or so ago. For a human. He would never do it and Emma knew that.

She assumed Erik could find his own way out of the mansion considering he had snuck in relatively easily.

"Emma," Charles's voice called out and she saw him sat in his chair in the grand hallway as she took to the staircase, stopping on them and looking back at him, seeing that he had a small tear moving down his cheek. He must have erased Moira's memory. Charles pressed his fingers to his temple after Emma had nodded at him and he looked on at the events of what had just happened.

"My love," he spoke softly. She looked at Charles and she knew she wasn't the only one who had been unlucky with the chemical emotion they call love. He looked so small and alone in his chair in the large house. She turned around on the steps and fell to her knees in front of Charles; resting her folded arms onto his lap as she laid her head on them and he stroked her hair gently, a tear falling onto her black tresses. He didn't know what to say to her but he was sure that no amount of words would help make up for what she was feeling.

…..

Erik remained looking at the closed door in the gym for a few moments before he used all of his strength to hit the punch bag harder than Emma ever had done in her fits of rage. Should he go after her? Should he chase her through the mansion and finally show her how much he wanted her? No. He was not giving up what he wanted for her. He couldn't do it anyway. Erik moved over to the door, opening the doors quickly and striding up the steps as if he owned the place before he heard sniffling.

"Azazel," he spoke clearly as he continued to follow the noise of the sobs. He saw Charles with his sister in the hall as Erik lurked in the shadows, making sure that neither of them could see him. Charles whispered words of comfort to his sister who seemed inconsolable. Erik had done that.

"Da." The red creatures' voice said to Erik as the pair of them remained hidden. "Are you ready to go?"

Erik looked back at Charles who finally looked up from his sister and he saw Erik. His eyes went wide as Erik tried to remain calm like a statue. The two men exchanged a brief glance before Charles nodded once and turned his attention back to his sister. Erik didn't even know what the nod meant but his mind began to ease slightly from seeing it.

"Back to the team. We have work to do."

….

A/N: Finished! Oh my gosh I cannot begin to say how hard it was to write this chapter but I had to stay true to the ways of the story so far. So, thank you to Breathewithme, Sam0728, Crazykat, BaDWolF89, Ninavs2, darniece, SARAHBABE215, Fallon Monroe, Trulzxoxo, Kat, dreamsnhugs, Faiths-Light13, Little Miss Angel, BeingOnEarth, CHSShorite, Devoted2You, truky for reviewing!

Potential for a sequel? What do you guys think? Do you want more or not? One last review? Please?


	18. Chapter 18

Three Weeks Later

"Sean!" Emma barked out, looking out to the ginger young man who was stood in the living room of the Westchester Mansion and she glared at him as he bent down, his mouth opening and then closing with a sharp intake of breath as Emma walked into the room, her eyes glaring into his as Alex chuckled once, stepping back to lean against the window seat. "Don't you dare."

"I can do it," he pouted like a little child and Emma raised a brow, moving into the living area further and depositing the vase of flowers on top of the grand piano as Alex folded his arms and Sean finally stood up. "I wouldn't have hit the vase. I was aiming for the glass sitting on top of it in an attempt to narrow my aim." He explained to her and Emma rolled her eyes, continuing on with the arrangement of the roses in the vase.

"I don't care, Sean," she called out to him, turning around and glaring at him. "You do not practice in here. Did Charles not tell you that? Do you have any idea how long that vase has been in our family?"

"Its antique beauty is quite something," Sean nodded, looking down onto the vase and then back at Emma, a grin spreading on his face as he looked at her. "But its beauty is nothing in comparison to yours."

"Jesus Christ," Alex complained under his breath, turning to look out the window and making a noise as if he were about to throw up. Emma couldn't help but shake her head and allow herself to smile at what the young boy had just said to her and she finished moving the roses in the vase.

"You really are going to be quite the Romeo in the future, Sean," she promised him and Alex allowed a smug grin to move over his face as he thought about a witty remark.

"He ends up dead, mate, so best of luck with that," he said and Sean's cocky smile fell from his face as Emma walked past him, ruffling his hair as she did so.

"But he dies after finding true love," she said and opened the door. "So there's always that upside."

As she shut the door she heard Sean complaining to Alex how hard it was to get a girl considering he wasn't that good looking and how Alex had it easy because he had a certain bad boy air about him which women fell for. Emma chuckled to herself and walked back down the hall to search for Charles. She was sure she would find him in his study. He was always locked up in there. Hank was always in his lab or in his room, working on projects but if he had to be truthful then he would admit that he was hiding to distract himself from the woman he had once found himself attracted to. She had left him and her family. It still hurt him after a month.

"Charles," Emma said his name when she found him in the study. He was sat behind his desk, his hands ferociously moving pieces of paper around it with a pen in his mouth. "You need to teach the mutants not to destroy our house."

Charles looked up, dropping the sheets of paper and then placing the pen back into his pale fingers as Emma trailed a finger over a row of bookshelves to find dust beginning to settle.

"What is wrong now?" he enquired and Emma looked back at him, settling down into the seat opposite Charles at his desk. She crossed her legs and yawned once loudly.

"Sean has been experimenting again. I stopped him before he could destroy the vase," she informed Charles and he smiled at what she had said before looking back at his work with intrigue.

"I could swear that he is the most expensive mutant to look after in the entire world," Charles promised his sister. "He's broken three windows and has destroyed four champagne flutes in the last week and a half. I am beginning to wonder if it even warrants keeping him around," Charles joked around her and she did force a smile onto her face for her brother and she bit down on her lip lightly and Charles ran a hand through his hair.

"Your thoughts have been crying out for me to read for the last three days," Charles informed his sister and she looked at him through her lashes bashfully, not wanting to have this discussion but knowing that Charles deserved to know what she was thinking. "I have resisted so far out of common courtesy but you are my sister, Emma. I would like you to feel as though you can talk to me."

"I've wanted to discuss this with you for a while," she admitted. "I just didn't know how you would take it."

"You can tell me anything, Emma," he promised her. "We have been through enough, would you not agree?"

"I think we've been through too much," she sighed and tightened her ponytail. "Your place is here with the mutants, Charles. You need to look after them and train them and I support you fully."

"Why do I get the feeling that you are complimenting me to then tell me something negative?" Charles wondered aloud and Emma pursed her lips, looking at her elder brother.

"It is your place to train them, Charles. You belong here...I...I'm not a part of this nor do I want to be, if I have to be completely honest," she admitted, leaning forward in the chair and clasping her hands together.

"What are you saying?" Charles leaned back in his chair, waiting for an answer as he saw her squirm.

"I am not saying that I think mutants are horrible or anything like that," she promised him, blabbering on slightly whilst her voice shook. "I mean...they're not...I just...I'm not one and I need a job, Charles. I need to do something with my life and not just sit here and watch you train or mope around after...well..." Emma coughed once, looking onto her lap and finding herself physically and emotionally unable to say his name. "I just can't sit here and do nothing."

"What kind of a job are you thinking of getting?" Charles asked her. "I can understand why you would want a job, Emma. You did not need to fret about that, my love."

"That's not all," she said and the encouraging smile which Charles had held for her fell again. "Before we came out here on this ridiculous CIA mission I had planned to continue on with education...I had hoped to become a Professor like you..."

Charles took the time to think about what she had just said and he nodded thoughtfully.

"New York University is quite good-"

"-I'm going back to Oxford," Emma interrupted him hastily so that he could not start on his rant. She managed to look into his eyes which seemed to be emotionless as he stared back at her. "I want to go back to Oxford."

"Why?" was the simple question which Charles asked with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Because it was where I have been studying for the last three years of my life and it is where I want to continue studying," Emma said.

"What is wrong with New York?" Charles asked. "You could stay here and commute-"

"-I don't want to stay here," she said childishly. "I can't stay in this house anymore, Charles. I don't want to be here, okay?"

"Why ever not?"

"Because you're intending for mutants to take over it," she said, slightly bitterly and Charles blinked quickly. "I don't want to stay here and feel out of place."

"But why do you need to move thousands of miles away?"

"Why did you go in the first place?" Emma wondered. "You wanted a change and that is what I want, Charles."

"You have certainly made your mind up, haven't you?" Charles arched a brow at her and she nodded. "You don't need to feel as though you have to go, Emma. I don't want to be pushing you out of your own home."

"You're not," she decided. "You're doing what you need to do."

"I will miss you terribly," Charles promised her. "If...does this have anything to do with Er-"

"-Don't say that," she snapped, standing up and looking back at Charles. "Don't say his name."

"He is still a threat, Emma," Charles warned her. "We both know that."

"No," Emma shook her head. "I'm not going to Oxford to run away from him," she lied. "I'm going because I need a fresh start. He's...he's...he is nothing to do with my life anymore, Charles. It is the way it has to be."

...

A/N: Decided to continue on with this story instead of creating a sequel so we shall have to see where things take us! Please review guys! And thanks to everyone who has reviewed before!


	19. Chapter 19

"I have the apartment back at Oxford all prepared for your arrival," Charles assured his sister as she sat in the kitchen the next morning. It was the morning of her departure from America and back to Oxford. Charles was devastated to say the least. He had lost Raven and now he couldn't help but feel as though he was losing Emma and somewhere deep down he wanted to do nothing more than blame Erik for all of this. Erik had been the one to persuade Raven to go with him and deep down Charles knew that some part of Emma was leaving because of him.

Emma spooned at her cereal, toying with it on the end of the silver cutlery as she looked into the milky bowl. Her eyes showed tiredness due to a lack of sleep down to packing and her face looked pale with a lack of energy across its features. She forced a smile in her brother's direction as he sat opposite her, eating his toast.

"Thank you, Charles," she said. "You didn't need to have it prepared for me."

"It would have been a dust trap when you got back to it," Charles snorted simply, chomping down on more toast as he shook his head. "And besides, I couldn't have you going with nowhere to stay, could I?"

"You do plan to come and visit though, don't you? I'm sure the local pub is missing your regular service. I imagine they've maybe gone out of business," she joked lightly with him and he glared at her with a grin on his face, rubbing his hands together and moving a thumb across his mouth to rid himself of bread crumbs.

"Your wit was missed in Oxford, I am sure," he kidded and she stuck her tongue out at him, standing up and tidying the table as Charles kept hold of his orange juice.

"I do have a few words of advice I would like to share with you before the cab comes to take you to the airport," Charles called out to her and he saw her shoulders slump downwards as she scrubbed at the plates.

"What pearls of wisdom are these?" she enquired and Charles sighed once, thinking about how worried he actually was. He knew Emma was a sensible girl but he also knew she was twenty one and alone in a large city. It was his prerogative to worry over her.

"Firstly I don't want any unruly behaviour," he spoke out, looking into his orange juice. "I do believe I have an issue with you being back and in the same city as Damon."

"Charles," Emma complained, removing the plug from the sink and picking up a towel, drying her hands as she looked at her brother with wide eyes. "Damon is retaking his Law course for the last year. I am guessing he will be studying extremely hard and besides," she paused, smirking at him, "I would not have anything to do with him again. Surely you know that?"

"I know," he admitted to her. "I just worry about you, Emma. Am I not allowed to do that?"

"Yes," she nodded. "And I will worry about you when I am away."

"I worry about me too," Charles said, trying to lighten the serious mood. "Being around Sean and Alex is enough to make me go bald and grey."

"You're doing a great job with them," Emma promised, placing the cutlery away into the drawer and hanging the towel back onto its handle before bending down and kissing her brother on the cheek. "And I'm proud of you."

"Must you leave?" Charles whispered, holding her hand as she rested it onto his shoulder and bent down to his height, smiling gently at him.

"I'll visit you," she muttered. "I promise."

"That doesn't make up for the fact you'll be away the majority of the time," he said sadly and Emma patted him on the back, standing up straight and turning around, wiping her eyes as she did so.

"Don't be going all soppy on me, Charles Francis Xavier," she said bossily to him. "You know we both don't do that now."

"You will call every week?" Charles asked, looking at her back and seeing her shaking slightly before she coughed to clear her throat.

"Every other day, Charles," she corrected him. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

...

Erik Lensherr donned his normal evening clothes that evening as he sat in a bar, looking across from his stool to where a chubby, balding man sat, his arms draped over two women and his face red whilst his mouth opened wide and laughed uncontrollably. Erik sipped on his Martini, his eyes scanning the room as he watched the man speak to whoever he was trying to impress. Erik was working.

"Does he know of our plan?" Erik asked the blonde who was sat opposite him. Her long curled hair was pushed up into a bun on the back of her head as she crossed her legs, allowing her short cream dress to ride up her thigh, her heels dangling on her feet as she closed her eyes for a moment and then shook her head.

"No," she spoke. "He is preoccupied. His defences aren't up."

Erik turned to look at her as she told him this piece of information and he raised a brow, gently placing the cocktail glass back onto the bar and looking at her with interest, ignoring the doctor he was supposed to be trailing.

"What do you mean his defences aren't up?" he asked, requiring more clarification and she shook her head at him, closing her eyes again and looking into Erik's again as soon as she returned his icy stare.

"I mean he is too interested in his sister leaving him," she spoke clearly and Erik's face remained stone as he thought about her. He coughed once, clearing his throat and turning back to look at the subject, faking a lack of interest.

"Where is she going?" Erik enquired and the blonde ordered a drink quickly before rolling her eyes.

"Oxford," she said coldly. "I do hope that this is not something which interests you."

"What interests me and what doesn't is none of your concern," Erik hissed harshly at her, attracting stares from some other people who were sitting near them and the blonde laughed once, resting her hand onto Erik's arm as he looked at her with slight confusion.

"Oh darling," she cooed. "You're so funny."

Swiftly kissing him on the cheek seemed to appease the enquirers as Erik looked at her and she glared at him.

"What was that about?" he muttered.

"We're here to act like an engaged couple," she replied. "Act like it, would you?"

"I don't know why I brought you here," Erik spoke, finally downing the martini and raising a finger for another finger drink from the barman whilst Emma Frost smirked.

"Because you need some of my feminine charm in order to get him to show us his...workplace..." she picked her words carefully and Erik shrugged.

"I could torture it out of him," Erik grumbled and Emma once again rolled her eyes.

"That's not nearly as fun as the game, is it?" she wondered aloud.

"Why is she going back to Oxford?" Erik returned to the previous topic of conversation.

"She's going to major in History. Become a Professor like her brother."

"When does she go?"

"Why do you care?"

"Let me stick to asking the questions," Erik said to her dangerously, using this powers and pulling tightly on the gold bracelet around her wrist as he did so. He let it go and she grabbed onto her wrist, running her hand over the red mark which he had created as she glared back at him.

"She's gone. She should be in Oxford by morning our time. Now are we going to get on with the job?"

"No need," Erik replied. "The job is coming to us."

Erik remained seated as the tall and plump man stumbled over to the bar, his face still full of glee as he rested against the marble bar, ordering a drink. Erik turned on the stool, looking at him with his best smile and focused eyes.

"Mr Williams," he spoke, holding his hand out and the man in question turned to look at him, holding his own hand out, his smile faltering slightly as he did so.

"Do I know you?" he wondered.

"Charlie Meyer," he used his false alias, preferring it than giving away his real name. "My fiancée and I have read all about your work as a doctor. Quite inspiring what you do."

"Why thank you," Williams said, looking at Emma who had stood up and moved to stand beside her 'husband' resting her hand onto his thigh as she offered her dangling hand and he kissed the back of it.

"Emma Xavier," she said and Erik looked at her, his thoughts turning into rage as he heard her use _that _name. "My fiancé and I just couldn't wait to say hello to you. Your work is quite something and we were hoping that we could take to you about it."

"You will have to make an appointment with my receptionist. I'm out on pleasure and not business."

"I don't think your receptionist would understand my issue, if you follow," Emma said lightly, a twinkle in her cold eyes as he raised a brow and Erik leant on the edge of his stool.

"I see," the doctor said. "And what would be your issue?"

"I have a certain gift. Maybe we could talk about it tomorrow?" she asked, moving into his head and showing him what she could do as she spoke to him telepathically and Williams eyes went wide and he nodded once, coughing as the bottle of champagne was placed in front of him and he looked back at Emma and Erik.

"If you would like to drop by my office after hours then I shall speak more then. For a cure to your problem then I will have to think of a price," he said and Emma nodded once.

"We shall see you there, Doctor," she promised him and the bald man scurried off and she jumped on the seat she had just left, looking back at Erik before ordering another drink.

"I can't believe he cures people like us..." she complained, shaking her head whilst Erik turned back to glare at her. "It isn't us who need curing."

"What do you think you were doing?" Erik hissed.

"What?" she shrugged innocently. "We need an alias. Does it bother you?"

Erik remained quiet, leaning back in his stool and crossing his legs as he did so. He shook his head at her, unable to believe what she was doing. She was seeing if she could press his buttons and it wasn't going to work. He wasn't going to show emotion.

"Not at all sweetie," he smiled, placing his facade back on. "Not at all."

...

Emma phoned Charles as soon as she had reached the apartment in Oxford and dropped her case into the room which he had used before. The rooms seemed far too big for Emma as she looked down the hall at where Charles's room was and where Raven's was. She set about clearing up the books in the living room and placing them back into his room, making a mental note to ask him later if he wanted them shipping back to Westchester or if he wanted them to stay in the apartment. The home was designed for three people. It was too empty for just Emma to stay in. Looking at Raven's room didn't help matters. And so she did what she had to. She grabbed her bike from the small cupboard in the hall and set about her path for the library.

...

After managing to fit the seventh book on the reign of Queen Elizabeth I into her basket Emma finally jumped back onto the bike, pulling her skirt down before she began to move off, weaving in and out of all the students in the setting sun as they prepared to make their way to the pub or back to their house. Mindlessly she biked on until she heard her name being called out into the air.

"Emma!"

She turned around as she continued to bike, seeing the source of the noise emerging from the steps of the Hound as she narrowed her eyes back, looking to see who it was. As soon as she knew it was Damon she turned back around but by then it was too late. Her bike headed straight into a concrete post designed to keep cars off the area of paving and she tumbled to the ground, falling on her side as her bike collapsed the other side of her.

"Shit," she muttered, seeing her books all around the floor and people looked on but didn't stop.

"You okay?" his calm voice asked and she knelt on the ground, grabbing the books before looking up at him. He hadn't changed much over the summer. His green eyes looked down at her as he bent down to the ground, pushing his blonde hair from his eyes and behind his ears as he helped to pick up her books.

"I can manage," she assured him trying to snatch a book from his grasp but he was having none of it. He swatted her hand away, picking them up and then standing before offering her his free hand. She took it, his warm skin feeling different on her cold hands as he smiled lightly at her.

"I didn't expect this type of greeting when you returned. Where have you been for the last few months anyway? You're late back to study," he informed her as he passed her the books back and she held them in her hands, cradling them against her as he picked her bike back up, his black trousers riding up his ankles slightly and his blue tie dangling from his dark blue shirt.

"Charles and I went back to Westchester for a while. He has stayed out there and I decided to come back," she spoke and he inspected the bike for a second before taking her books back and placing them back into her basket.

"You just upped and left," he commented, reading through the titles of the books as he went. "I had hoped to have a word with you."

"Oh?" Emma enquired and Damon nodded, the bike resting against his side as he looked at her.

"We can talk and walk at the same time. Are you okay?" he asked her again and she nodded, beginning to move but wincing in pain as she did so.

"Sit on the bike," Damon commanded her and she raised a brow.

"That was my plan," she agreed and he chuckled, running a hand through his hair.

"Just sit sideways onto it and I will push you," he said and she began to protest but he shook his head at her. "I can see you're in pain. Please just do it."

Emma huffed once, her side still hurting as she did what he had said. She sat on the small saddle sideways whilst Damon grabbed onto both handles, standing tall and pushing the bike as Emma held onto one handle with her extended arm and allowed him to push it.

"So what did you want to talk about?" she wondered, unable to deal with the awkward silence.

"Us."

"There is no us."

"And that is my issue," Damon commented. "I had wanted to talk to you that night in the pub but your brother interrupted us. I...I wanted you to know...how sorry I am...Em..."

"I don't think sorry can cut it," Emma spoke curtly. "I saw you cheating on me, Damon. How do you think that makes me feel?"

"I can't imagine," she spoke truthfully; looking ahead as he continued to push the bike and Emma observed his pale face. "And I know how utterly selfish and stupid I was to even think that I could behave the way I did. It sickens me terribly, Em."

"I don't intend to fight with you, Damon," she promised him.

"And I don't want that either. I just want you to know that I still care, Emma. I still love you."

"Don't," Emma mumbled. "Don't say that."

"It is true," Damon spoke stubbornly. "I just wanted you to know that. I never stopped loving you, Em."

...

A/N: Thanks to all the guys who reviewed! Glad you're still interested! Let me know what you think, please?


	20. Chapter 20

"You know if you don't have a break then your brain will go into overload and not take anything in?" a voice asked Emma as she sat in the library, her desk cluttered with books and open at random pages whilst she made notes in her leather notebook. She didn't need to look up to know who it was as she remained focused on her work.

"I'm quite fine," she replied and he chuckled, leaning against the large bookshelf whilst pulling a book off from her desk and looking into it. She looked up to him, her eyes narrowed as he flicked quickly through the pages. "And besides, should you not be studying? You are retaking a whole year."

"Thanks for the reminder," he snorted out to her, placing the book back onto her desk and folding his arms as he yawned loudly. "It is eight o'clock in the evening, Emma. Even I need a break. Why don't you come for a drink?"

"I'm quite fine here, thank you very much," she muttered back to him and he rolled his eyes, leaning down and snatching the pen from her grasp, a large squiggle going across her page due to the lack of control she had on it. Biting her tongue and turning her head upwards she saw him smirking at her, trying to hide it by coughing as he noted her face of thunder.

"You twit," she snapped. "Give me my pen back."

"Come for a drink," he retaliated and she rolled her eyes, cleaning her books away.

"No," she replied. "I am going back to my apartment where you're not going to be."

"Oh come off it, Em," he pleaded her, flapping his arms by his side as he did so and she raised a brow, standing up and placing some books back into her leather satchel along with her notebook. "You need some time off."

"True," she agreed. "But that time does not need to involve being with you, Damon."

"I said sorry," he hissed back at her and she shook her head, forcing herself not to grin sarcastically. "Let me buy you a drink. I won't stop until you agree."

"Fine!" she snapped, her voice echoing through the corridor of books as Damon looked around and people stared at them with glared eyes. Emma flung her hands over her mouth as Damon smiled, the motion showing his pearl white teeth as he picked up her books and placed them back onto the shelf.

"I am doing this to appease you and get you to leave me alone," she whispered as she walked beside him out of the large maze of books and he shrugged once.

"I'm just glad I got you to come."

…..

Erik detested Azazel. That much was obvious. He hated what he had done to Emma. He had almost killed her and he wanted nothing more than to destroy the mutant for that. But he had to realise that he had been working for Shaw just like he was now working for Erik. And he had his uses. Teleportation was one of them. And so that was how Erik found himself in Oxford that night. He wore his black suit, deciding to don normal clothes so that he didn't look out of place when he went to speak to Emma. He didn't know why he was going to see her if he had to be honest. She had made it quite clear that she wanted nothing to do with him and he didn't want to be with her because of that fact. But what he did despise was the fact that she was becoming close with her ex-boyfriend. It was unfair that he had Frost keeping tabs on her but he did it for her own safety. The stupid, naïve girl attracted trouble.

Oxford was brimming with students who were wandering about. A few of them were drunk and crawling about and some were looking at them with disgust. Erik continued to keep his own thoughts on the sights to himself as he walked into the Hound which smelt of smoke, alcohol and there was a slight tint of sweat. Erik sat himself down onto a bar stool, ordering a pint of beer before he scanned the room, looking for her.

As soon as the beer was placed in front of him he picked it up, swigging almost half of it back before he returned to his previous task. She wasn't that difficult to spot. She was sat near the large fireplace which was currently not emitting any heat and she had a glass of cola in her hands, sipping on it through a straw as she looked at the boy sat opposite her. He had his hands on the stained wood as he leant forward, almost looking at her pleadingly.

Erik took in his appearance all the way from his posh designer suit to his perfectly placed blonde hair. He deduced many things from just looking at him. It was a skill which he had acquired after sitting in numerous bars and searching for Shaw.

Emma looked across the room as Damon took a drink of his whiskey and he looked down onto his lap. Her eyes fell straight onto Erik but she ignored him for a moment before her brain kicked in. What was he doing here? She didn't want to see him again. She thought that much had been obvious even for him. She looked back into his cold eyes, neither of them showing any emotion as Damon picked up on her staring.

"Em?" he asked her, snapping her out of her daze as she looked back into his caring eyes and puzzled face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied quickly. "There is nothing wrong."

"Well that guy at the bar seems to be staring at you. Do you know him?" Damon wondered, looking back at Erik who was draining his beer once again.

"Yes…No…It's complicated…" she blabbered, her cheeks flushing as she spoke and she saw Erik move from his seat, straighten out his jacket and make his way over to their table. Emma quickly stood as he advanced towards them and Damon did the same, still fussing around his ex-girlfriend as she shrugged into her cream coat.

"Going so soon?" his deep voice finally asked as she bent down to pick up her satchel. She closed her eyes, her back still to him as she placed the strap onto her shoulder.

"Why are you here?" she asked, turning to face him, their bodies close together as Erik looked down at her, his eyes still stern and his jaw set in a stubborn manner as per usual.

"I need to talk to you."

"We're through talking, Erik," she promised him before Damon coughed once.

"Sorry to interrupt," Damon said, forcing a smile onto his face as he stepped in between them, his arm wrapping around Emma's waist as Erik looked at the motion and clenched his teeth together. Emma looked at Damon for a second, her brow raised as she moved herself from his hold. "I think it is clear that Emma isn't comfortable with you here."

"And if you know what is good for you," Erik said, his voice deep and threatening, "you will stay out of this. Besides, I know all about you."

"Oh?" Damon pondered aloud.

"Yes," Erik confirmed. "The cheating ex-boyfriend who slept with someone else because his girlfriend wasn't willing to become a little whore for him."

Damon remained quiet, his mouth dropping open as Erik couldn't help but stare smugly at him and Emma puffed her cheeks out, unwilling to believe what Erik had just said. It was none of his business what happened between her and Damon. She was none of his business in general.

"Go, Erik," Emma growled at him. "I'm not making a scene here."

"If I'm going then you're coming with me," he warned her as Damon's cheeks flushed red.

"That is no way to talk to her," Damon said. "You don't know anything about us."

"Do not test me," Erik snapped as people began to slowly stare at them, beginning to murmur as Damon stood tall, puffing his chest out as he came closer to Erik.

"Or what?"

"Enough!" Emma snapped at both of them, pulling Damon back by his arm and turning him around. He continued to look over her shoulder at where Erik was stood before she hit him on the arm once. "Look at me, Damon."

He forced his harsh stare down onto her as she looked back up at him.

"I will speak to you later, okay? Just go back home and I will see you tomorrow."

"Who is he, Em?" Damon whispered quickly. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"I will tell you later," she promised. "Do this for me, Damon. You owe me this much."

"Fine," Damon snapped at her, grabbing his own coat and looking at Erik who was still looking stern but smug. He shrugged into the black material, buttoning it up as Emma watched him and people began to return to their own business.

"I will see you tomorrow," Damon said and he curled a finger under her chin, bringing his own lips down onto hers as he kissed her gently. Emma didn't even have time to react to what he was doing. She knew he was doing it to antagonise Erik. He wanted to see if it would evoke a reaction and he wasn't disappointed. Masochism at its best.

Erik quickly grabbed onto Damon's elbow, pulling him from Emma and pushing him backwards, his own fist moving into a ball but he had not time to strike. Emma grabbed onto his arm, pulling him back and standing in front of him, shielding Damon.

"Do not start this," she warned Erik and then looked at Damon. "Go home, Damon. Now!"

As soon as the Law student had scurried off Emma began to move through the pub with Erik hot on her heels, his hand on the small of her back as they reached the cool night outside and Emma looked at him as they began to walk down the cobbled road.

"What are you doing?" she snapped as she led the way and Erik placed his hands into his pockets as she moved the strap further onto her shoulder. "You do not come here and start fights in pubs!"

"I've done it many times before," he simply spoke and she glared at him, her hair flapping out behind her as she took in what he had just told her and she shook her head. "And I needed to stop you before you did the stupid thing and took him back."

"Why?" she wondered. "I am a big girl, Erik. I can take care of myself!"

"And this is where our opinions differ," he spoke, clapping his hands once whilst Emma rolled her eyes at him, moving past a group of drunk students as she went. "You cannot look after yourself. If you had stayed with Charles then I wouldn't be here. Does he know about you and Damon?"

"No!" Emma yelled at Erik. "And that is because there is nothing to know! You do not come back here and tell me how to live my life!"

"Well if I wasn't here to tell you then I could see you ruining it!" Erik roared back at her and she stood still, losing her balance slightly and Erik looked back at her, seeing that she was beginning to cry gently.

"It is already ruined!" she promised him. People looked at them but did not stop, sensing their brawl was too much for anyone to comprehend. "My brother is now in a wheelchair and my sister left us! And do you want to know the worst thing! You caused all of this, Erik! You're the one who ruined my life! And to top it off…you…you come here…and you tell me what I should do…and even though I think you're an utter…selfish and controlling…bastard…I still…" Emma took a breath, tears rolling down her cheek as Erik watched her, his face still stone cold as she ran a hand through her hair and turned away from him, taking a deep breath and trying not to cough as she swallowed. "I still love you."

Erik remained dumbstruck. She looked at him and he felt his mouth dry out. He was unable to say anything back to her as she shrugged once, looking up to night sky and then back at him.

"And you can't even say it back."

Emma turned around quickly, almost running down the road as people continued watching her and staring at Erik. It took a moment for the metal bender to realise what was happening before he ran after her, his feet pounding against the pavement as he finally found her on a quieter street, resuming her normal pace. He didn't say anything as he approached her. He remained silent as he grabbed onto her arm, hauling her back to him and then forcing her lips onto his. He felt her posture relax as she wrapped her arms around his neck tightly, his own arms bringing her closer by her waist as she parted her mouth, allowing the kiss to deepen as she moaned against him and one of his hands found her hair, pressing her closer to him as he toyed with the black tresses.

Emma pulled away a moment after, looking at Erik before she shook her head.

"What are we doing?" she whispered.

"Well we were kissing," he muttered.

"Why?" she wondered. "We can't do this, Erik…we can't…"

"You don't need to complicate things."

"No," Emma shook her head. "You did that when we were on the beach that day."

And then Erik watched her as she scampered off, not bothering to chase her this time.

….

A/N: Thanks guys for reviewing! Please let me know what you think and if I can get past 100 reviews that would be great!


	21. Chapter 21

"What do you mean, Emma?" Charles exasperated after his sister had finished her rant down the phone. Charles was in the hallway by the phone, sitting in his chair and looking out onto the garden where Sean, Alex and Hank were causing chaos. He checked his watch, wondering how long Emma had been ranting for and he realised it had been almost three minutes of non-stop talking and he had to admit that he was impressed she had the air to do it.

"Erik basically attacked Damon. He had no right to be here, Charles. He thinks that he...he...controls me...or something like that...I mean, how did he even know what I was doing or where I was?" Emma wondered and Charles closed his eyes for a moment before looking back into the mansion quickly.

"He has Emma Frost with him," Charles informed her. "She is a telepath and my best bet is that she is keeping tabs on you."

"What a-" Emma began but Charles, interrupted her, a stern look on his face which Emma could see from thousands of miles away.

"-Thank you, Emma," Charles spoke lowly. "What were you even doing with Damon?"

"What?" Emma spat, walking around the flat, pulling the cord with her as she stomped angrily against the soft carpet. "So I tell you that the man who paralysed you came to Oxford and almost started a fight and all you can ask is why I was with Damon?"

"Erik poses you no threat," Charles shrugged. "I admit I am not impressed with him in thinking he can tell you what to do. Yet, he has sensible advice, Emma. You should stay away from Damon."

"Don't you dare start!" Emma snapped at her brother, fuming as she did so. "He had no right to be here...after what he has done..."

"And I completely agree," Charles assured her, sensing the stubborn temper of her was rearing its ugly head and he couldn't deal with the down the phone. "But I hate to have to agree with Erik on the matter that is Damon. He is no good for you and I wish you would see that instead of agreeing to his demands."

"He said he was sorry," Emma muttered. "Don't you always tell me to forgive and accept that words are mightier than actions?"

"Not in this case," Charles snapped. "He slept with another woman after he had the nerve to try and pressurise you...it sickens me, Emma. I make that no hidden secret."

"I know," Emma said, knowing that Charles was right. "But he is trying, Charles and he is sorry. I can tell. I dated him for two years."

"And he had the ability to do that to you after you had dedicated so much to him and your relationship," Charles spoke softly to her, a small smile playing on his lips as he shook his head. "You deserve better, my darling. As for Erik...if he continues to persist in annoying you then you are under orders to call me immediately as I shall sort this out."

"Thanks Charles," Emma whispered, leaning her head against the cold painted wall, trying to cool her redden cheeks. "I miss you."

"Oh, my love," Charles chuckled, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so and looking back to the three boys outside. "I miss you too. But I cannot see Erik being that much of an issue."

"Why not? After what he did I doubt there is anything which would trouble him."

"This may be true towards everyone else," Charles nodded in agreement, "but you're not just everyone else to him, regardless of how much you wish you were."

"That's maybe true," she deadpanned and then yawned loudly. "I will talk to you later, Charles. I'm shattered and just want to sleep."

"Sweet dreams, darling," Charles grinned and hung up. Emma heard the loud beep down the phone and sighed once, placing the phone back in its hold and then back onto the table where it belonged. She looked around the empty apartment and crossed her arms, unable to think about anything other than how empty it was.

...

"Comrade," Azazel spoke after Erik had summoned him. He had followed Emma home, lurking behind to make sure she got in safe and after the slamming of the door. "We have an issue."

Erik stood opposite the red creature in the small alleyway as students walked down the main road, laughing and shouting after their consumption of alcohol. Erik raised a brow, loosening his tie as he continued to think about what had just happened between him and Emma.

"What is it?" Erik enquired; his voice short and curt and hoping to have the conversation over with as soon as possible, unable to believe how much he actually could not stand Azazel. The red creature folded his arms as his tail flowed out behind him and he looked apprehensive.

"Doctor Williams," he said simply. "He managed to almost crack Emma. She went with Riptide to him like you had told her and they planned to kill him for what he has been doing but it seems he is one of us."

"Was anyone hurt?" Erik wondered, the cold night turning his cheeks slightly red as he rubbed his hands together.

"Nyet," Azazel shook his head. "Emma and Riptide escaped before he could do anything but he escaped too."

"So what is his power?" Erik asked, wondering how it could all have gone so well. They had planned their attack that evening but Emma had been naive and Erik had left them. He was stupid. He should have been there to coordinate it all. But no, he had managed to get his priorities all wrong again.

"Fire," Azazel spoke. "He can start a fire. He knocked Emma out and prepared to hammer her to break but Riptide intercepted. Apparently he has been looking for a cure to his own problem. But there is another issue."

"I doubt it can be any worse than it is already," Erik huffed, looking up to the starry sky and pleading for Azazel to hurry up so he could just go and find a stiff alcoholic drink. He needed one, God only knew that.

"He has a team," Azazel said and Erik chuckled in disbelief. "He has other mutants and he warned Riptide. He knows who you are, Magneto."

"How?" Erik hissed. "How does he know I am?"

"He followed the Cuban Missile Crisis with interest. He had a file on you in his desk...he knows everything. We think he sees you as a threat," Azazel spoke and Erik nodded to that, a smirk on his face.

"When you say he knows everything about me then does he know about Emma Xavier?"

"He has a file on her too."

And that was enough for Erik to make his mind up about what he was going to do.

"It seems we have a new enemy. Professor X is the least of our worries."

"So what do we do?" Azazel enquired and Erik began to walk away whilst the red creature remained hidden in the shadows.

"Go back to the others. I need to go and do something before I come with you." Erik called back to him and the last thing which he heard was a pop noise.

...

Emma lay in her double bed that evening, the apartment seemed unbearably warm for some reason and she couldn't settle herself. She finally managed to doze off; unbeknown to her the apartment door was open.

Erik easily turned the key in the lock and allowed himself access to her apartment, shaking his head as he did so. She should never leave a key in the lock. He would have to tell her that. He walked through the dark apartment, hearing a loud moan coming from down the hall and then the thumping off a pillow. He moved through the corridor, looking at the door before pushing it open. He quickly found the light switch and turned it up so that the room was illuminated. He watched Emma sit up quickly, her hair flown all around her as she became startled and she glared at him.

"Wake up sleeping beauty," he called out, folding his arms as she adjusted her clothing around her body appropriately and pulled the covers up and around her. "Don't worry; you don't have anything which I haven't seen before."

"What the hell are you doing here?" she hissed at him and his eyes held amusement whilst hers held disbelief and annoyance. "I thought I told you my thoughts earlier?"

"You did," Erik agreed. "But during our space of being apart I have acquired a new enemy."

"I'm not surprised," she grunted out loudly.

"But he seems to know about you too so up you get," Erik clapped once, enjoying winding her up and getting her away from Oxford. Away from Damon.

"Your problems are none of my concern," she huffed.

"They are when you become involved and could be at risk," Erik spoke back. "Now up you get."

"Go to hell," Emma said and pushed herself back under the covers. Erik rolled his eyes, moving over to her and pulling the sheet back as he grabbed her around the waist tightly, hauling her from the bed as she yelled once. "What are you doing?"

"If I go to hell then you're coming with me, Emma," he assured her. "You don't have a say."

"You're an absolute, conceited twit!"

"Even when you insult me you do it in a posh manner," Erik said, moving out into the hallway as she thumped on his back loudly, the noise just making a hollow sound after he had placed her over his shoulder. "I'm doing this for your safety."

"This is kidnapping!" she retorted, pushing her hair from her eyes.

"Call it what you want," Erik muttered so she didn't hear him. "Azazel!"

In a moment there was pop as Erik grabbed onto the red mutant, Emma still kicking and screaming against him but by then it was too late.

...

A/N: Thank you to my reviewers as per! Let me know what you think guys!


	22. Chapter 22

"Erik Lensherr," Emma grunted as she sat in the corner of a room after being teleported by Azazel. She had completely gone mental when she saw the creature who had almost killed her and she had wanted to do nothing more than kill him herself, her adrenalin was that high. Erik stood up, looking down at her as he busied himself about the room, tidying up the paperwork Emma had knocked to the floor before he had restrained her. "I swear to God if you don't let me out of these ropes then I will personally kill you myself and even your metal bending powers won't save you!"

Erik allowed himself a small chuckle, unable to forget how funny she was when she was angry and he knew her threats would never be carried out.

"Please be quiet, Emma. As I have explained; Doctor Williams appears to be a force and he has already harmed a member of my team. I dread to think what he would do to you if he found you," Erik said gravely and Emma rolled her eyes, trying to wriggle her wrists from the rope behind her back. But they were attached to the pipe which restricted access dramatically.

"On the contrary," Emma drawled, flipping her hair from her eyes and behind her shoulders as she smiled tauntingly at Erik, "I would very much love to help him in his quest to kill you."

"Oh darling," Erik chuckled, rolling his eyes before kneeling down to her height, his hand resting on her cheek as she remained silent and he smiled at her like a patronising parent. "We both know the guts for you to do that are nonexistent. Do not make promises which you cannot carry out."

"Well come here," Emma whispered, moving her mouth closer to his ear, her breath tickling the sensitive skin as she watched him shudder. "I will then show you that I mean it."

"It is going to have to wait," Erik said; his own lips near her cheek before he quickly patted it once and pulled back, standing up. "We have work to do and you need to sit there and look pretty."

"Where are we anyway?" Emma asked, finally deflated from Erik's constant antagonising and he looked back at her as he stood in the doorway, ready to leave and go and address his team. He pursed his lips for a moment, debating whether to tell her. She did have a telepathic brother which could go against him if her thoughts were loud.

"We're in a submarine," he spoke quickly. "Location disclosed. We wouldn't want Charles coming, would we?"

"A submarine?" she snapped at him, looking around and noting that there were indeed, no windows. "Erik...we need to get out of the submarine."

Erik raised a brow at her as she shuffled around on the comfy brown carpet, tugging at her bonds with haste.

"Why?"

"Because being in a small metal tub underwater is not safe!" she yelled at him and he rolled his eyes at her, walking back to her, noting that she would hurt herself if she continued to struggle.

"I control metal. I think you're safe. I knew you were scared of flying-"

"-I hate most modes of transport!" she snapped back at him and he chuckled gently to himself which only caused her to become more agitated. "Why can't you just let me go back to Charles?" she whimpered. "He'll look after me if you insist."

"Because I am safer," he hissed. "Now do you think you can stay in here and be a good girl if I take the ropes off of you?"

Emma looked at him with narrowed eyes, jutting her chin out stubbornly and angrily.

"Well it isn't like I'm going anywhere, is it?" she hissed and Erik began untying her quickly. Once she felt the ropes fall to the ground she stood up quickly as Erik did the same thing and without thinking she raised her knee, hitting him quickly in the crotch before he doubled over in pain, tears automatically forming in his eyes. Emma pushed past him but he wasn't stupid. He grabbed onto her wrist, dragging her back to him.

"Get off!" she yelled.

"Stop fighting!" he demanded.

"Stop being an ass!"

"I'm trying to protect you and this is how you react?"

"At least I may have stopped you from reproducing which is a good thing for humanity!"

Erik growled lowly; bring her tightly against his own body as he managed to stand up straight. She wormed around in his hold until he pinned her against the wall, her wrists still in his large hands as she looked at him with conflicted emotions.

"If this is going to work then you need to behave. Understand me?" he snarled and she bit her tongue for a second, thinking about what to say.

"Let me go to Charles," she pleaded again. "Let me go to my brother."

"Why?" he wondered. "You left him for Oxford...clearly he is not your be all and end all."

"No!" Emma snapped. "But being with you is driving me mad...even for ten seconds!"

"Well get used to it," Erik said, dropping her to the floor before making his way out from the room. "Because I'm not going anywhere."

...

Charles knew something was not quite right. He knew something was indeed off and he couldn't place his finger onto it. He picked up the phone after pushing himself into the hall and called his sister, knowing she should be at the apartment due to the time of day. But there was no answer. Nothing. Charles immediately began his elder brother panicking routine, wondering where she was. She would be fine. She was allowed a social life. She didn't need to be at the apartment all the time. As Charles prepared to move off he found the phone began to ring again. Sighing once, he picked it up.

"Charles Xavier," he declared himself before he heard a cough.

"Did you just phone Emma?" a voice he slightly recognised asked and he raised a brow, shifting around in his chair as his eyes narrowed.

"I did," he spoke. "Who is this?"

"Damon," the boy muttered and Charles turned a slight shade of red but he did not receive the chance to ask any questions as Damon continued speaking. "I came to apologise to Emma for my behaviour the previous night when some chap came into the Hound."

"So where is she?" Charles said and Damon coughed again, clearly nervous.

"She's not in her apartment. The door was ajar but she's not here and I don't know what to do. It is like there has been a struggle in her room...I know you hate me...but I'm worried for her...I think maybe this Erik person has something to do with it...it would only make sense..." Damon blabbered and Charles took a deep breath, knowing that Damon was correct.

"I shall deal with this," Charles said curtly.

"So what do I do?"

"Why don't you go and find another woman to pester?" Charles suggested and he hung the phone up quickly. The mere voice of him annoyed Charles to death. The telepath began to move down the hallway, yelling out as he did so.

"Alex, Sean, Hank!" he shouted. "We have Magneto back causing trouble!"

...

Damon stood in his ex-girlfriend's apartment, looking around and wondering just what the hell was going on. Who was Erik? Why was he so infatuated with Emma? Damon didn't know the answers to the questions which he asked but he knew that he was determined to find out. He gritted his teeth as he felt his anger build up inside of him and he looked around the room, storming out of it before he hit the streets of Oxford, his feet pounding against the cobbles before he raised his hand into the air, the anger beginning too much for him. As soon as he made the motion as large bolt of lightning flew through the air. Clearly his mutation was beginning to take over him.

...

A/N: Thanks to anyone reading and anyone who reviews! Let me know what you think!


	23. Chapter 23

"Funny, isn't it?"

Damon stopped his walk through Oxford in the dead of the night before he turned around and looked behind him. The streetlights were dimly lit and the night was once again descending over Oxford. The blonde narrowed his eyes, attempting to get a better look at the figure which had just called him.

"One moment your loved ones are there and the next they're gone. Damon, isn't it?" the man asked, advancing over to the student who remained stood still, his feet firmly placed to the ground as he remained confused as to who this man was and what he wanted. He folded his arms, his chin sticking out in stubbornness. That was another trait he shared with Emma.

"And you are?" he replied, his voice curt and snobbish as the man loosened his tie, chuckling down onto the cobbled ground before offering his own hand.

"Doctor Williams," he declared himself. "I have a proposal to make to you."

Damon didn't take his hand, quite simply not liking the look of the man in front of him as he eyed him suspiciously, taking in his new suit which appeared dishevelled on his plump figure all the way up to his grey and balding head. Damon remained silent as did the Doctor, waiting to see if the young man had anything to say to him.

"And what," Damon drawled, his voice low and dangerous, "do you have to offer me?"

"Emma Xavier," he said quickly, jumping straight to the chase and he did note a change in Damon. His ears almost pricked up and his eyes became wide as the doctor gave a smug grin to him, rocking back and forth on his heels as he folded his own arms. "Are you interested now?"

"Who are you?" Damon said. "And I don't mean your name."

"Well then," Williams muttered, "the more apt question would be 'what are you', would you not agree?"

Damon didn't respond, his face holding caution as he waited for the man to clarify what he meant. Surely he wasn't someone like Damon. And what did he have to do with Emma? Had he taken her? Where was she? Damon's mind was rammed full of different probabilities, each one as ridiculous as the previous. He didn't know what to think at all.

"I'm like you, son," he promised Damon.

"You believe so?"

"I know so," he said and raised his hands out in front of him. Damon watched with interest as his hand turned a deep red colour, it looked as though he was about to burst into fire, which he promptly did. The ball of flames sat on his palm as Damon watched and he looked into their glow. "You've had to keep your mutation hidden," Williams whispered and Damon was drawn back to his eyes as he closed his fingers into a fist and the fire left their presence. "You don't want to be a freak, do you?"

"I do want to know why you are here," Damon decided to settle on that statement, not wanting to discuss his mutation with a stranger.

Williams took a moment to think about what to tell the boy. He didn't want to mention what it was he did. He didn't think that Damon looked like he wanted to be cured. That was a conversation for next time.

"Emma went missing last night, didn't she?" Williams arched a perfect brow, waiting for Damon to respond to his question but all that he received was a simple nod. The boy cared for her deeply. Caring was always the downfall of everything and it would be that to Magneto. "What if I were to tell you who took her?"

"I have an incline," Damon answered quickly, not wanting to appear unknowledgeable. If he had to be honest, all he wanted was for this man to leave him alone and allow him to find Emma on his own. "He was called Erik Lensherr."

"Good," Doctor Williams said as if he were praising him for getting a question correct. The condescending attitude of him was something Damon only received from his father when he was in a bit of trouble. "Do you have any idea what your precious little Emma has been doing this summer?"

"She went to Westchester," Damon shrugged. "I need to be going."

"What if I told you that you could get her back?" he asked and Damon stopped turning on his heel, his neck moving so he could look back at Williams. "Erik Lensherr has her and you have no chance of getting her back on your own."

"I think I could," Damon snorted. "He just looked like some tough guy who I could take easily."

"He's a mutant too," Williams informed him and Damon's eyes went wide. "Now do you really want to know what your dear girlfriend has been up to?"

Damon remained stood still for a moment. He wanted to know. He needed to know what Erik was to her. He still loved her and he would be damned if he lost her to some mutant who had apparently kidnapped her. He nodded once at the Doctor who clapped his hands.

"Excellent. Welcome to my team, Damon Perry. Welcome aboard."

…..

Emma lay on the sofa in the living area slash office area. She could hear Erik sat at the desk and shuffling through papers as he occasionally sipped on his whiskey. She rested her hands onto her stomach and looked up to the white ceiling, feeling the submarine jolt suddenly and she gulped loudly before coughing to contain her yelp of fear. It went silent for another moment as Erik looked onto the papers.

"You okay?" he called out into the quiet room and Emma didn't respond for a moment.

"I'm fine," she whispered, just audible for Erik to hear before she sat up, looking over the back of the sofa and over to Erik who remained focused on his work. "Is Raven here?"

He peered over at her for a brief moment before he looked back onto the black writing on white paper.

"No," he drawled. "She's gone out with Riptide to locate Williams."

"Ah," Emma spoke clearly, standing up and moving over to the desk, looking down at the sheets as Erik watched her intently. "The Doctor you annoyed and so now he wants to kill me. Well he may do...you don't really know though, do you?"

"I know that you're safe with me," Erik said as she stood beside him, leaning over to look at the work, her black hair falling past her cheeks and Erik looked up to her. "Do you have to be so nosy?"

"Did you have to paralyse my brother?" she hissed back and saw Erik wince. It got to him. He really did care in his own, twisted way. He gulped loudly, looking back at the desk.

"That was an accident," he whispered. "I never wanted to hurt Charles. Surely you know that?"

He looked at her with his cold eyes, pleading into hers as she rolled her eyes, moving around the living room before nodding.

"I know," she promised him. "When will Raven be back?"

"I will send her in when she returns," Erik promised Emma and she nodded at him. "I know how hard it must be for you."

"No," Emma shook her head, chuckling sarcastically as she did so. "You don't know."

'_Emma?' _

Her name was called loud and clear in her head as she stepped back quickly, her eyes going wide and her brows rising into the air before she looked around the living room as Erik watched her with intent.

"What's wrong?" he asked her and she shook her head.

"Déjà vu," she lied to him with a shrug. "Can I use the bathroom?"

"Door in the hall on the left."

"You're letting me go alone?" she taunted him and he rolled his eyes at her.

"You're not going anywhere, Emma. Just behave."

"Yes boss," she mock saluted him before rushing down the hall to the bathroom, shutting the door quickly and locking it before she sat down onto the closed toilet seat and she shut her eyes, thinking hard before she heard the voice again.

'_Emma…my love…it's me'_

'_Charles!'_

'_Are you okay? Does Erik have you?'_

'_Erik has me, Charles. He's not hurting me but he's keeping me with him because of something to do with a man named Doctor Williams. Erik annoyed him and Erik thinks he will come after me for revenge. I told him to let me come back to you.'_

'_Can you explain where you are at all? Cerebro isn't strong; Emma and we don't have a lot of time. Hank is still in the process of completing the machine.'_

'_It is a submarine, Charles. Of all the things to hold me hostage in he chooses a submarine.'_

'_Is that all you know?'_

'_It is all I am allowed to know, Charles. Erik has been vague and refused to divulge much more information with me.'_

'_Okay. You're doing well, my love. I will get to you as soon as I can.'_

'_I know…but…I know I'm safe with Erik…I can't explain it.'_

'_It feels as though you're not really a hostage?'_

'_Yes.'_

"Emma?" Erik's voice snapped her from her conversation which Charles as he knocked on the door and Emma stood up quickly as he knocked on the door. "What's going on?"

"I'm using the bathroom. Can I not have some privacy?" she snapped back at him, flushing the toilet and running the tap before closing her eyes for a second.

'_I shall find you.'_

'_I don't doubt it. I have to go, Charles. He's irritated.'_

'_Take care, darling.'_

Emma turned the tap off and moved over to the door, unlocking it and opening it. As soon as she stepped it she bumped into Erik who was looking at her suspiciously as she looked up to him with narrowed eyes.

"What were you doing?" he enquired. "You were in there a while."

"I didn't realise there was a time limit," Emma hissed back and he eyed her cautiously before nodding once and she moved down the hall, unable to resist a smug smile.


	24. Chapter 24

Emma popped her lips for the fifth time that day as she once again resumed her previous position on the sofa, comfortably laying on it. Erik had gone off to talk to Frost about Doctor Williams and he had told Emma to stay put and be a good girl to which she had responded with a 'bite me' comment. He also persisted in touching and playing with his helmet every thirty seconds but he had lost the ridiculous cape which he had much to Emma's comfort. As she lay there she rolled onto her side, looking deep into the room. She stood up, moving around it and seeing how lifeless it truly was. Yes, there were luxuries in the room like expensive paintings and statues but everything seemed dull. She trailed her hand along the bookshelf which occupied a whole wall before a strange noise was heard. Emma's first instinct was to place her hands onto her ears, holding them tightly before she looked around. Erik's roaring voice could be heard from down the hall as Emma moved out to investigate.

"What was that?" she asked him and he turned his glare onto her as he stood in the grey control room. Azazel and Frost were looking onto beeping machines quickly before Emma took note of the blue creature stood in the corner.

Her yellow eyes were looking directly back into blue as her emotionless face faltered and she showed signs of remorse and happiness. Emma took a deep breath as Erik looked between the two of them, unable to have the time of day for their squabbling or making up.

"Take Emma back to the living area, Raven," Erik commanded her but the pair of them remained silent before he took a deep, agitated breath and pressed his hand onto his temple. "Can you please do it? Your gawking is off putting us."

"Shut up," Raven snapped at Erik, pushing past him, bumping her shoulder against his as she moved past Emma who looked at Erik. The metal bender nodded simply at her and she turned around, following Raven back down the corridor and into the living room. She closed the door quietly, her back still turned to Raven, feeling weak and useless as she thought about striking up a conversation with her. What did she say?

"How have you been?" Raven called out, folding her arms and trying to act harder than she felt as she looked at Emma who had turned to face her.

"Apart from being kidnapped and finding out some crackpot Doctor wants to kill me?" Emma rhetorically asked her sister as she placed her bottom lip over her top one and shrugged loosely. "I'm not bad."

"You still have your dry sense of humour, I see," Raven observed and Emma moved over to the sofa, settling down onto it on the edge, clasping her hands together quickly and looking up at Raven who was looking back at her.

"It is one of the only things which helps to keep me sane when mutants are continuously at each other's throats," she spoke lowly and Raven unfolded her arms, allowing them to drop by her side as she paced in front of the coffee table and Emma watched her intently, wanting to know what she was thinking about.

"Erik encountered a problem when he came into contact with Williams. I am sure you know that," Raven said clearly to which Emma responded with a snort.

"He seems to annoy the majority of people who he comes into contact with," she promised her sister who grinned for a second and then allowed her lips to fall."I asked him to just let me go back to Charles."

"He said no, I presume?" Raven checked and Emma clicked her fingers.

"Got it in one. He wouldn't even let me go back to the man who was his friend and a mutant."

"He likes to be macho, doesn't he?" Raven offered an explanation for his behaviour and Emma took it with a nod. She couldn't help but think of how it felt like old times. The time when she and Raven would sit up late into the night and just talk about things of little importance but increasing relevance to them.

"We miss you," Emma finally told her. "Charles and I want you to come back."

Raven took a deep breath, looking away from her sister and onto the bookshelf as she bit her tongue down, trying to think of an appropriate sentence to speak as she did so.

"Charles and you have each other," she called out. "You do not need me, Emma."

"You're wrong," Emma challenged her. "Charles and I treated you like a sister and that is exactly what you are to us."

"You and Charles integrate," Raven snapped, turning back to look at her. "I cannot do that. I can be myself if I stay with Erik."

"You can be yourself with us!" Emma yelled at her. "We have lived with you since we were little and we love you, Raven! Why is that not enough?"

"Because love is never enough," Raven declared and Emma fell silent as the blue creature flapped her arms by her side, her eyes looking upwards as she did so. "We both know that love is never enough. I thought you would know that?"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Emma enquired, completely confused by her sister's sudden irrational behaviour.

"You loved Damon and look how he repaid you," Raven snorted once. "He cheated on you and hurt you...and then there came Erik-"

"-Don't be stupid," Emma hissed and Raven rolled her eyes.

"I saw how you looked at him! It is as if every word he says you hang onto! You two quarrel and claim to detest each other but at the end of the day you're just the same as everyone else! You love him but you're not enough for him...and that's because love is never enough and it never will be."

Emma remained dumbfounded at her sister's outburst, unable to comprehend the nature of the lecture she had just received. It was normally Charles who gave her the talks and not Raven. But Charles was an optimist. Raven seemed like the complete opposite of that. It pained Emma to hear her think in that manner.

"You certainly have your own analogy on things," she whispered and Raven shrugged awkwardly before sitting down on the cushioned stool opposite the sofa.

"I'm practical," she muttered. "Erik still has feelings for you. Why do you think he brought you here?"

"I don't want to talk about Erik," Emma whispered. "It is you who I want back with us; Raven...you're my sister."

"And Erik is the man who has the potential to make you happy if you really want him to."

"He can't," Emma replied. "The chances of him even thinking about taking me on a date are slim. He would never want a marriage and he would never want to settle down and have children. There is also the issue that he wouldn't even want any of that because he is too busy on his evil conquest to take over the world."

"Hm, hm," a voice coughed out and the two women looked to the door where Erik stood. His face looked slightly amused as his hands remained stuffed in his pockets.

"We need to be going. Williams has our location narrowed down." Erik explained and Raven stood up without another word, moving quickly over to the door as Emma stood slowly, looking at Erik.

"You didn't hear that, did you?" she asked and he arched a brow.

"Embarrassed?"

"Of course not," she hissed and he chuckled, taking her elbow into his hand and steering her down the hall.

"You shouldn't be. I am sure our children would look splendid," he mumbled as he led Emma down the stairs but before he could make it all the way he doubled over in pain, his mind felt like it was burning as Emma took a step below him, her hands instantly holding onto his sides as he held onto his head, yelling out in pain.

"Erik?" she questioned him. "What is it?"

His screams of agony continued before a shadow was cast over the small passageway and Emma looked up to see Frost stood there, her arms folded as she remained in diamond form. Azazel had a stand behind her, his face showing a smile as Emma released Erik and he crumbled to a heap on the small, metal platform.

"What are you doing to him?" Emma yelled as Frost visibly grinned.

"He will be fine when we have left," she promised him. "He's just reliving a little memory that is all."

"What the hell is going on?" Raven's voice barked out quickly as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Frost nodded at Azazel who disappeared for a second and then reappeared, standing next to Raven. He quickly made his move, slamming her body against the wall before she fell to the ground.

"Get away from her!" Emma roared.

"She's fine," Emma spoke. "She's out cold but that is all. She isn't the one who we want."

"What is going on?" Emma worried. "Just let Erik go...please...whatever this is..."

"Your admiration towards a murderer is touching," Frost said bitterly. "Williams was right. His caring will be the downfall of him."

"Williams?" Emma asked, still struggling to move out from the tight space of the staircase. There was no way out. Frost and Riptide blocked the stairs at the top and Azazel at the bottom.

"Yes," Emma said. "He just wants you and he offers a nice sum of money along with the promise not to kill us three for giving him what he wants."

"So you're betraying Erik?" Emma clarified as his screams turned to heartbreaking whimpers.

"Everyone betrays everyone. It is the way of the world. Azazel, grab her," Frost commanded and the red creature did just that. Emma felt sick in his hold as she struggled against him, trying to get back to Erik and Raven as he dragged her up the stairs, finally taking hold of Frost and Riptide before all four of them popped out of sight.

...

The submarine was on autopilot. Erik had made sure of that after his fit of rage and tantrums in the control room. He went back down the stairs to the lower deck where Raven was still knocked out and he settled himself down onto the steel step, his back against the wall as he closed his eyes, thinking about what had just happened. His own team had betrayed him. Raven had stayed and he had no idea where Angel was. She said she would help him when he needed her but she insisted on going away for a while. They had maybe gotten to her too. He knew how fickle she really was.

"What happened?" Raven suddenly spoke, her voice nasally as she sat up, clutching her forehead in slight pain.

"They turned against us," Erik whispered, his eyes wide and looking at the wall opposite him. Beads of sweat ran down his forehead and onto his dishevelled suit. "They took Emma to Williams."

"What?" Raven snapped quickly. "Well did they all turn?"

"I don't know about Angel but I don't care," Erik shrugged nonchalantly. "He has Emma."

"So what now?" Raven wondered. "There are two of us and we don't know how many people he has!"

"We need Charles," Erik said, finally looking at Raven who blinked profusely before she nodded once in agreement. Erik sighed, hating to admit that the telepath would come in handy before he chuckled lightly. "We need Charles."

...

A/N: So if you're still reading this then let me know what you think! Please! Thanks to anyone who has reviewed so far for taking the time to read this story! I have many ideas but if anyone wants anything interesting putting in then just let me know and I shall have a look! Please review!


	25. Chapter 25

"Miss Xavier," Doctor Williams drawled out her name as soon as Azazel had released her from his hold after her constant protesting. The Russian mutant had wanted to do nothing more than slap the young woman for being such a nuisance but Frost had told him that it would not be in his best interests. They had already done the unthinkable in showing their betrayal to a man who did nothing better than seek revenge on those who wronged him. Emma looked over to the man, taking in the surroundings of where she was.

A tiled surface was beneath her feet and the wind contained a cool breeze but the sun was glaring down, making the heat unbearable. Grass seemed to stretch on for miles and miles, trees dashing across the landscape whereas the only building was a large wooden building, balconies moving off from it at most doors. Emma looked over at the man who was lounged on a sun bed, his eyes closed lazily as the noise of sloshing water came from the pool beside her. He certainly lived in luxury; that much was for sure.

"I apologise for the abrupt manner to which you were brought here," he spoke loudly, managing to push himself up from the bed, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked by the side of the pool, his eyes cast down onto the stone like tiles. "But I seem to find myself in a pickle."

"How horrible for you," Emma said dryly to him, her hands clenching into balls by her side as he chuckled, looking up at her and pointing a finger.

"I can see you're a firecracker," he informed her. "I like that...if you three would give us some time to talk then that would be desirable."

The three mutants looked at each for a moment before Emma shifted back into human form, arching a brow in his direction as she folded her arms.

"And our payment?" she enquired and Williams eyes went wide as he nodded sternly.

"It shall be with you shortly. Do not test me, Miss Frost. I have spared your lives," he taunted her and she nodded at Azazel, quickly grabbing onto his hand and the three of them vanished. Emma remained silent, the breeze moving her hair around her face and causing her to sweat even more.

"I'm sorry," Williams spoke, "how can I have been so rude? I'm John, John Williams," he held out his hand for her to shake but she remained looking down onto it, clearly not interested. Williams frowned and dropped his hand to the side as he then motioned to the sun beds which sat at the end of the pool.

"Take a seat," he motioned and Emma followed him to the bed, looking around for a potential escaped route. The plump man settled himself down onto the bed, leaning back and feeling the sun in just his white shorts and blue shirt. "I'm a man of exquisite taste, Miss Xavier."

"I can tell," Emma muttered. "You do know that whatever game you are playing will not work, don't you?"

"Pray," he whispered, "what game is it I am playing?"

"You took me so that you can get to Erik. It won't work. He isn't dumb," Emma assured him, perching herself down on the side of the sun bed next to him, straightening out the skirt which she wore as she did so.

"I am aware Mr Lensherr is an intelligent individual," he snapped back, closing his eyes tightly. "But you will be the downfall of him. He will do nearly anything to get you back but there is an issue, isn't there?"

"And what would that be?" Emma wondered lazily, the sun beating down onto her as she removed the blazer from her shoulders.

"You don't want to be with him as long as he is this monster," John spoke, his voice cold and crisp as he told Emma what she didn't want to hear. She gulped once, looking into the cool pool water before coughing. John smirked to himself, not needing to look at her to know that he was right. "He paralysed your brother and turned against your kind. It is only right you want to hate him but you can't. Love is a dangerous chemical...I can see about fixing that for you."

"What?" Emma snapped at him, her voice full of annoyance. "Fix me like you fix anyone else who isn't a human? It's disgusting."

"Your own sister tried to fix her mutation," he remarked.

"You shouldn't promote it. They should be mutant and proud."

Williams hastily sat up, the bed wobbling under his weight as he leaned across to Emma, his hand wrapping around her wrist as she tried to pull away from him.

"Listen to me," he warned her, "you have no idea what it is like to live on this Earth and be seen as an outcast. You're just some little, Oxford graduate with nothing but a big ego and an even bigger mouth to go with it," he spoke, his skin heating up, the fire flaring through him as Emma felt her arm begin to burn. She whimpered at the pain, trying to get away from him quickly. "But when you're confronted," he chuckled, "you're nothing. You're weak."

"That's enough," a new voice shouted out as he moved from the wooden house, a small alcoholic beverage in his hands which he placed on the table at the end of the sun beds and before the pool. Emma looked across quickly and her mouth dropped open, pain still moving through her body as Williams released her from his hold.

"Damon," she whispered and the blonde looked at her whilst Williams stood up, picking the drink up and sipping on it.

"Just the right amount of ice in here," Williams spoke, popping his lips after he did so. "Why don't you take our new guest inside? I may have burnt her slightly."

Emma didn't need telling twice. Damon held his hand out to her and she jumped up, quickly taking hold of it before he wrapped his arm around her waist, picking up her arm and observing it as they took to the path to the building.

"We'll get you some ice," Damon said, kissing the top of her head. "He had no right to do that to you."

"Why are you here?" Emma asked him, her arm still throbbing as he held the door open for her and she walked through, keeping close to him as he moved around the tiled kitchen, making his way to get some ice from the freezer as Emma noted a sink, quickly standing beside it and running the water under her arm. "What is going on, Damon?"

"Williams found me in Oxford. I went to your apartment and realised you weren't there," Damon spoke, his head moving through the freezer as Emma numbed her arm.

"How did he find you? Why did he find you?"

Damon remained silent, his eyes shutting and then opening again as he straightened himself out.

"There's no ice," he simply spoke and Emma picked up on his reluctant tone and she raised a brow.

"Damon," she said sternly. She only used to say his name like that when he was distracting her from working or if he got too carried away whilst kissing her. "Tell me."

"I'm...I'm one of them," he shrugged, not knowing the best way to paraphrase his issue. "I'm...I'm a mutant."

Emma's eyes popped open wide as she looked at him make his way over to her, his cold hands resting on her arm and looking at the red mark.

"What's your gift?" she whispered, looking up at him as he dared to look down at her. She looked at him with such intrigue and yet understanding and admiration.

"Lightning," Damon whispered. "I can make lightning."

"How long have you been able to do it?" Emma wondered gently. Damon shrugged, loosening the tie around his neck, letting it drop down his purple shirt which was tucked into his grey trousers.

"Ever since...ever since we broke up," he admitted. "I felt something change and then when you left in the summer it was just there...Em...I can't explain it."

"Neither can I," Emma admitted. Charles and Raven had developed their gifts at a young age, not during their twenties. It intrigued yet puzzled Emma. Charles would know.

"And then when I found out you'd gone missing," he coughed, changing the topic away from him. "He found me and told me all about what happened this summer to you...all the way down to you being stabbed and...he told me about Erik...his infatuation with you..."

"Damon," Emma mumbled, looking out the window as he looked down to her, his hand slowly moving to her chin, drawing her to look back at him.

"Is it true?" he asked her. "Did you love him?"

The past tense. She did love him. She still did love him now much to her dismay but Damon didn't need to know that. She couldn't bring herself to hurt him at that moment.

"He paralysed my brother and wanted to kill humans," she deadpanned, unable to give him an exact answer. Damon nodded at what she had said and Emma remained satisfied that had filled his curiosity. "So why did you join Williams?"

"He told me he could get you back. He said he didn't want to kill you...he just wants Erik..." Damon mumbled and Emma snorted.

"That figures," she muttered. "You do know what he does, don't you?"

"I'm guessing he's a Doctor," Damon said dryly and Emma hit him gently on the arm with her free hand.

"He cures mutants," she spoke. "He thinks mutants are abnormal and he helps them to rid themselves of their problems."

"And you think that is wrong?" he arched a brow and Emma rolled her eyes, nodding as she did so.

"Why should they be cured? Why should they be ashamed of who they are?" she snapped at Damon who held his hands up in surrender to her.

"I didn't say anything," he spoke clearly. "I agree...I think it is unfair...but...I came with him for you, Emma," he said, his hand caressing her cheek as he looked down into her eyes. "I came back to find you because I was so scared and this was my only option."

Emma turned the tap off for a second, her arm still wet as she slowly placed her arms around his neck and he held her around the waist.

"I'm here for you, Emma. Nothing will hurt you again...nothing."

And the funny thing to all of it was that Emma believed him. Being held by the same boy who had broken her heart was comforting. She felt slightly safe and she knew how hard he had tried to find her. He just wanted her to be safe because he loved her and in some way she loved him. But the depth of her love for Damon just was not as deep and twisted as it was for Erik Lensherr.

...

Charles sat in the large golf ball Hank had recreated in the grounds of the Westchester mansion. He had been searching for his sister again after their brief conversation but there was nothing. Hank had hacked into a database to gain access to information about on submarines currently in the water but little did Charles know that his sister was no longer on a submarine.

"Working hard, I see."

Charles's eyes opened wide and he removed the brain helmet from his head, swivelling around in his chair to look to the entrance of the building. His eyes flew over to the man who stood on the top step, his arms folded and a cape over his body, the blocking helmet covering his head. And then there was the blue creature. The woman he had looked after and cared for. He did not resent Raven like Emma had done before. He understood her and she knew that.

"This is a surprise," Charles managed to drawl. "What brings you two here?"

"You must know that this is our last resort," Erik spoke clearly, moving deeper into the room as Raven remained near the steps, looking at her brother in his wheelchair. "We would not be here if we didn't need to be."

Charles took a second to think about what he had just said to him and his mind drew a blank. Emma was supposed to be with him. Erik had Emma.

"This is about Emma, is it not?" Charles checked and Erik took a deep breath for a second before nodding quickly.

"Williams took her, Charles," Raven spoke up, needing to say something to him before she went crazy. "Williams had the other mutants turn against us and he kidnapped her."

"You clearly don't have control over your mutants, Erik," Charles spoke clearly and Erik glared at him.

"Well we all can't get along and bake cakes like you, can we?" he snapped.

"So you're here for my help?" Charles responded. "You need us to help you?"

"He has a team and I think we can agree that we are doing this for one reason," Erik said quickly, not wanting to waste time as Charles clasped his hands together, narrowing his eyes and looking at Erik.

"I know how you feel about-"

"-Then you will know that the only reason I am here is for _her_," Erik hissed. "Do not tell me how I feel or what I want, Charles. You have no right to do that anymore."

"I cannot tell you what you already know," Charles snapped back. "But my sister is all that matters."

"Does that mean you are prepared to put your ego aside and help us?" Erik checked and Charles snorted loudly, rolling his eyes.

"If you managed to place your large ego aside and come here then I can manage to do the same."

Charles and Erik looked at each for a second whilst Raven lurked behind and they both nodded at each other, knowing that two teams were better than one.

...

A/N:Thanks to anyone reading and please review


	26. Chapter 26

"No," Alex shook his head as he folded his arms, looking at Charles who was sat down by the window in the sitting room. He took a deep breath as Sean looked at him with concern and Hank remained quiet, snarling to himself and thinking about what Charles had just told them was to happen.

"It is not up for debate, Alex," Charles spoke back, his voice stern as he looked at the teenager who was smiling in disbelief, his head continuously moving from left to right.

"He turned against us!" Alex defended his beliefs. "He turned against us and put you into that chair!"

Charles took a deep breath, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so. He looked around the room at the teens and thought about what to say next.

"I know what he did," Charles said, trying not to snarl at the teenager who was looking angry yet concerned. "I know what he has become but I also know that he needs our help. Emma looked after you all whilst you were here, you know that."

The teens bowed their heads, understanding what Emma had done for them. The washing, cooking, cleaning and ironing was mainly down to her whilst she had lived with them for a month. She was strict and sometimes extremely unsocial but she had their best interests at heart.

"We want to find her," Sean declared, his chin sticking out as he looked proud of his words. "We just do not want Erik near us when we do."

"I'm sorry," Charles whispered, "but he has to be a part of this. He and Raven care deeply for Emma and are not willing to just sit back on the sidelines and watch this happen. Two more mutants are better than two less mutants against this man."

"How do we know we can trust him?" Hank wondered, his blue fur ruffling as he scratched his arm and pushed his glasses further onto his nose. "He betrayed us once before. Why would he not do it again?"

"He won't," Charles promised them. "I think you all to be naive but I know it is not the case."

"What are you talking about?" Sean asked, his brows raised and his face featuring confusion as Charles chuckled once.

"Erik has feelings for Emma. That is how I know he will not do anything to betray us again. You need to trust me. I am not going to force you to do anything which you do not want to do but your help would be greatly appreciated, not just by me, but by Emma."

Charles concluded his speech, waiting for them to reply to him as he looked between them quickly, taking in Alex's nonchalant shrug, Sean's ginger hair moving back and forth and Hank's growl of agreement.

"Thank you," Charles said sincerely. "We must act quick."

"How quick?"

"We leave now."

...

"Do you have any idea where they will be?" Erik asked Charles as he walked beside his friend who was pushing himself along the gravel of the Westchester mansion, his eyes focused and his brain working overtime.

"I have not sensed anything from Emma," Charles admitted. "Hopefully Cerebro shall give me something. I understand you are frustrated, Erik, but running around looking for her like a headless chicken shall do no one any good."

"It would stop making me feel so useless," Erik admitted to Charles who pursed his lips tightly, frown lines forming on his forehead as he thought about what he had just said and could not help but agree more. With him in the chair he felt completely useless. He felt as though he had no purpose in this mission, knowing he could not defend himself under attack. It pained him terribly.

"I understand how you feel," Charles admitted, finding it odd that he was able to talk to the metal bender in this manner. It was almost as if nothing had happened between them. It was like how it was.

"I never meant for Emma to be involved in any of this," Erik promised Charles as they took to the grass and Erik moved behind the chair, helping to push his friend who was struggling on the different topography. Charles shrugged to himself, trying not to be annoyed with Erik and what had happened.

"I know," he sighed. "I just wish she could have returned to Oxford and had a normal life like she wished. I also wish that the day on the beach had never happened but we cannot have everything which we want."

"I'm sorry I put you into that-"

"-I am not talking about the chair," Charles shook his head after interrupting Erik. He pushed his black hair to the side, the sunlight hitting his face as he did so. "The chair is a hindrance but I can live with it. On the beach you made the choice to never be able to be with my sister. As much as I hate anyone near Emma...you hurt her and possibly ruined a chance at happiness, for the both of you."

"She can always come with me," Erik whispered after a second of silence and Charles chuckled darkly and deeply.

"Oh my friend," he replied. "I am afraid to say that you have burnt your boats."

"I know an excellent craftsman," Erik said sarcastically, "I am sure he can make excellent boats which will not need to be burnt down."

"Let us just focus on getting Emma back, shall we?" Charles said, not wanting to wind Erik up anymore, knowing the tantrums which he had. "And when she comes back then you can grovel an apology."

...

"You need to eat," Damon pushed Emma. She was sat at the kitchen table, drinking a glass of milk whilst Damon looked around the kitchen. Whilst she had been at the house she had seen a few other people milling around, looking at her suspiciously as she glanced back at them with hesitance. There was one girl with long blonde hair which flowed around her waist like golden drops. She had managed a small smile to Emma but had scurried off without saying anything. Two boys who reminded her of Sean and Alex were in the living area. One was muscular with black, floppy hair and the other was slender, looking more like a runner with bright brown hair.

"No," Emma replied to Damon as he shut the fridge door, finding nothing edible in it. "I need to go back to Charles."

"That is not happening," Damon shook his head, opening a cupboard and managing to find a large bag of crisps which he took out, popping the packet open and settling them in the middle of the wooden table as he took a seat opposite Emma who was looking at him crossly. "We have to wait here for Erik to come and find you...Williams has a plan..."

"He is not going to kill Erik," Emma growled lowly and Damon chewed loudly on the crisp before he shrugged.

"Why not?" he asked her. "Are you going to stop him?"

"If I have to," she retorted.

"Why?" Damon asked her that one worded question and she blinked quickly. "If you get in the way then he will kill you too."

"So be it," Emma said stubbornly and Damon picked up another crisp as his stomach began to turn into knots.

"I won't let you," Damon promised her. "I will not let you risk your life at all...why are you willing to die for him? After what he did you're still protecting him."

"Don't talk about it, Damon," she snapped. "It is none of your business."

"Make it my business!" Damon yelled at her, pointing to himself as he did so. "Talk to me, Emma! Damn it...I came here for you...I came here because I still love you! Can you please just talk to me!"

Emma remained silent like a meek mouse as Damon ran his hand through his think blonde hair, taking a deep breath and trying to cool himself down from the shade of red which he had turned. Emma stood up slowly, moving over to him and resting a hand onto his cheek, looking into his eyes. He looked hurt and worried.

"I still love Erik," she admitted and he winced in pain, his eyes closing as she said the words. She didn't want him. She wanted the man who had hurt her brother. Then again, why should she want the man who hurt her? "But I know we can never be together after what has happened...I know that, Damon...and it does hurt me...but...it is how it is..."

"I would take care of you," Damon promised her, snatching her hand into his own. "I can give you what you want. I don't want to live with mutants against humans...I don't want to change...I want it to be how it was a year ago...you and me in Oxford...that's all I want..."

"And it does sound nice," Emma promised him with a small smile. "It is just unrealistic after everything what has happened. I loved you once and ended up hurt."

"That does not need to happen again," Damon said forcefully. "I have changed. You must know that I have changed, Em."

"I don't know what I want, Damon," Emma said, standing up and folding her arms quickly. "All that I know is that I can't let Erik die looking for me."

"Nothing which I say will change your mind, will it?" Damon checked and she shook her head before he made the worst decision which he could possibly have made. "We will run away."


	27. Chapter 27

"Have you completely lost your mind?" Emma hissed later on in the evening. Williams had taken the rest of his team out on some mission to intercept some people he had a feud with. He had left Damon with stern instructions to make sure Emma did not go anywhere. He trusted Damon. He saw himself in the young boy slightly when he was a successful young man. Damon had promised him that she would not go anywhere willingly. It seemed he was correct for she was leaving unwillingly.

"No," Damon snapped back at her, taking her hand as he dragged her through the landscape, trying not to trip over tree trunks or roots as they walked on the solid, dry mud. Emma held onto him tightly, trying to pull him back so that he would stop but he wasn't listening to her. "Charles is your brother...I trust him...I do not trust Erik..."

"He would say the same about you," Emma snorted, struggling to keep up with Damon as the sun shone into the trees, blinding their way as they squinted into the distance.

"Who do you trust?" Damon wondered and Emma remained quiet. She did not trust either of them if she had to be honest. Erik had turned against her and Damon had cheated. Their trust wasn't valuable. Charles was the only one she could ever really depend on. He was always there for her.

"What happens if he finds you?" Emma asked, not answering his previous question. "He will kill you and me."

"It won't come to that," Damon promised her. "We will find somewhere to go...there will be a cab...somewhere..."

"Where are we?" Emma wondered suddenly. All she knew was that she had been dragged to a house in the middle of nowhere and she hadn't even thought about asking for the location of it. She was too concerned over the presiding events.

"Florida," he shrugged lightly. "We can be back to Westchester in no time."

"This is a ridiculous plan!" Emma snapped at him but she continued walking quickly beside him, moving around a tree and hopping onto a flat trunk before stepping off it, looking at Damon who was too focused on the trail ahead of him. "He's going to find us."

"Such a pessimist," Damon rolled his eyes, grinning lightly which caused Emma's eyes to go wide.

"You're smirking?" she questioned him, her voice going an octave higher as Damon chuckled, shrugging lightly as he did so.

"Live a little," he urged her and she snorted loudly.

"Oh yes," she spoke, sarcasm dripping through her voice, "because this is how I envisaged spending my life. Running away from people who want to kill me is certainly the highlight of everything."

"Calm down, Em," he urged her, his arm moving around her shoulders. "We'll be fine."

"If you say it often enough then it may start to become annoying," she promised him and he looked away from her, coughing into a smile so not to annoy her when she was clearly so agitated. "How long does this forest go on for anyway?"

"I'm not quite sure," Damon muttered, thinking about the question which he had just been asked and Emma sighed lightly, pushing her hair from her face and smelling her arm. She definitely needed to shower in the near future. "But I think that is a main road."

...

"Do you think it costs money to make calls?" Emma called out to Damon as he stood in the bathroom of the motel which they had rented a room in. Damon had somehow managed to use his mutant power to gain money and the pair of them had decided to hide out there for the night, deeming it safer than moving around in the shadows.

Emma pushed the towel in her hand through her dripping wet hair, a motel robe tied around her body as Damon stood in the bathroom, brushing his teeth and looking in the mirror as he called back to her.

"Probably."

She sighed for a second, sitting down on the lumpy mattress and crossing her legs before picking the phone up, punching in numbers as she did so.

"I hope you have enough money for this call then," she muttered to Damon, fully knowing he couldn't even hear her as she spoke to him. She placed the phone to her ear, hearing it ring for a few seconds before there was an answer.

"Xavier residence," the deep voice said, "this is the gorgeous Sean speaking."

"Hello Sean," Emma said, her voice flat but holding some form of entertainment. "It's Emma, gorgeous, is Charles there?"

"Emma!" he yelled and she held the phone back slightly as a commotion came from the other end and Sean explained what was happening. "It's Emma...yeah...no...she still sounds bossy..."

"Hey!" Emma snapped at him but smirked as Damon stood in the doorway, a towel around his neck as his blonde hair dripped slightly and he watched Emma's back as she bounced up and down lightly, clearly happy to speak to her family again. "Is Charles there, Sean?"

"Yeah...he's wheeling in now...I've never seen him look so worried yet happy at the same time..."

"Put her on, Sean," Charles demanded quickly, reaching for the phone and pressing it to his ear, his breathing fastening as he did so. "Emma, my darling, is that you?"

"Yes!" Emma exclaimed. "It's me, Charles!"

"My love," he sighed, his chest sinking as he let go of his breath. "How are you? What happened? Are you hurt?"

"Calm down, Charles," she said, pushing her hair behind her ears. "I'm fine. Damon is a mutant, Charles. He helped me to escape from Williams. We're in a motel in Florida."

"Damon?" Charles blinked quickly, running a hand through his thin hair as he did so. "Damon's a mutant? How did I not know this?"

"His powers only started showing when we left for the USA...he can throw lightning...it is quite something..." Emma garbled and Damon chuckled, moving back into the bathroom to finish off washing his face and he shook his head.

"Extreme trauma," Charles nodded quickly. "He was so traumatised when you upped and left without another word that it accelerated the genes."

"Well, whatever," Emma shrugged, not wanting to think how upset he was when she left. "Williams is out on a mission and Damon...he's with me...he's been good to me, Charles..."

"I can tell." Charles pursed his lips, not wanting to think about how 'good' he had been to his sister. He still detested the boy and that was all there was to it. But he was grateful for what he had done for Emma. "Where are you? We will come to you."

"The Mason Motel," Emma quoted. "We're on the first flight out of here tomorrow and back to New York."

"You're sure?" Charles checked.

"Yes. There is no point in both of us rushing around like headless chickens."

"I was just worried that Williams may try something. I would prefer for you to be on the first flight out of there, my love," Charles said, his voice sound persuading as Emma looked to the shut bathroom door and nodded once.

"I will tell Damon," she promised her brother. "I have to go, Charles. This is going to be costing us a fortune."

"Okay...okay...let me know when you are at the airport and we shall come and pick you up...oh, Emma...you cannot know how grateful I am to have you back."

"I know," Emma whispered. "Love you." And then she hung up on Charles.

...

"Lose the gum," Charles demanded from Erik as he stood beside the man in the wheelchair, looking into the arrival gate with eagerness. Erik looked down at him, the sunglasses on top of his head as he chewed loudly. "Emma will have a fit if she sees you chewing gum."

"It isn't any of her concern what I do."

"You have come to the airport with me. I know you want to see her."

"You can't drive," Erik pointed out. "I don't trust the other's with a vehicle."

"She's here," Charles said, ignoring Erik's comments as soon as he saw his sister with Damon. She rushed through the crowds of people to the edge of the lounge where Erik and Charles were. Damon stayed back slightly as people greeted each other in the white room and Emma bent over, hugging her brother quickly as she did so. Damon noted Erik, wondering why he was there but he realised Charles and he had history. He would need help considering his team turned against him and Charles was the only one who could support him.

"Charles," she whispered his name and he drew his arms around her, his hand on the back of her head and pressing her face into his neck. Erik watched on, slowly removing the gum and sticking it behind him on the wall as Emma kissed Charles on the cheek.

"Em...sweetheart...you do not know how much I have longed for this."

"Me too," she agreed with him, standing up but keeping hold of one of his hands as she looked at Erik. He looked at her with wide eyes, his hands in his pockets as he remained straight faced.

"Emma," he drawled her name.

"Erik," she whispered before Damon coughed once.

"I hope you don't mind that I tagged along," he said and Emma moved her eyes from the metal bender and onto her ex. "I just wanted to make sure Emma got back to you safely."

"I thank you for that," Charles said, his voice full of sincerity. "I don't think I can thank you enough."

"Not necessary," Damon shrugged at him, his eyes looking back at Emma. "I should be going."

"What?" she replied, slightly louder than she had meant to. "Where are you going?"

"Williams will be on the lookout, Em," he said, stroking her cheek and Erik turned away for a moment, looking out the window as he clenched his hands into fists. "I can fend for myself."

"No," she said adamantly. "You can't go alone."

"I'll be fine," Damon shrugged.

"Come back to Westchester with us," Emma said quickly and Charles and Erik looked at each other with wide eyes before Emma turned back to look at Charles, her eyes pleading as she did so. "Tell him that he can come with us, Charles. He can be safe then."

"It is his decision," Charles said and Erik grinned smugly but the smile fell off his features a moment later. "But there is always a room spare for him."

"Is there?" Erik hissed, unable to control himself and Charles raised a brow, silencing him.

"We live in a mansion. Of course there is," he snapped back and Damon shrugged.

"If you're sure?"

"You saved Emma. It is the least I can offer you."

"Brilliant," Erik said; irony in his voice before he walked away.

...

"You are always lurking, aren't you?" Charles said when he found Erik in Cerebro later on in the evening. He was looking at the machine, thinking about using it before he disappeared into the dead of the night. His case was in the corner, waiting to be picked up so he could leave.

"I was thinking about using this," Erik pointed at the machine, looking at the helmet which protected his thoughts as it sat on the podium. "I could recruit more mutants considering mine have vanished."

"You have Raven," Charles spoke.

"She won't come with me now and I don't want her to. She missed you and Emma too much. She had ties," Erik shrugged, leaning against the control panel and folding his arms as he did so. "I can't stay here anyway. We achieved what we wanted. Emma is back safe and sound."

"You have ties here too," Charles promised him. "Emma is here."

"And she brought Damon with her too, didn't she?" Erik snarled, trying not to become angry. "She brought her cheating ex-boyfriend with her."

"She didn't want to see him hurt, Erik. She is keeping him safe like he did her. You do not need to be jealous. She would never return his affections for her when he hurt her like he did," Charles promised him and Erik snorted loudly, pointing in a westerly direction.

"I am not jealous of him!" he snapped. "I am not jealous."

"Maybe not of him," Charles admitted. "But you are jealous that Emma would even consider helping him. You are jealous of what they had for you want the same."

"It wouldn't work," Erik flapped his arms by his side. "I'm not playing happy families here like you, Charles."

"Your life would be so much easier and you would be happier," Charles promised him. "Just think about it, Erik."

...

Erik sat on the floor of Cerebro after Charles had left him, his back against the railings of the podium and his eyes shut, occasionally glancing across to the small case and helmet which were waiting for him. He knew that he had to go soon but a part of him wanted to delay the departure as long as he could.

"Charles said you were up here."

Erik opened his eyes, looking at Emma as she folded her arms. A long cardigan was across her body as she held it closed against her small frame. Her hair was tied into a messy ponytail and she wore shorts on her legs and flats on her feet.

"I haven't moved since earlier," Erik drawled as Emma remained stood where she was. "I know that I need to go."

"You don't have to," Emma murmured to herself before pushing a loose strand of black curl behind her ear. "You asked Charles for help in finding me. How much did that hurt your pride?" Emma enquired, joking with him and Erik noted the gleam in her eye before he smirked once, baring his teeth as he did so and resting his head back against the cold metal.

"You don't want to know," he replied. "I'm sorry for all of this, Emma. I never meant for Williams to find you."

"Well it doesn't matter now," she shrugged. "I'm back home but he is still out there, Erik."

"I know."

"So you shouldn't go," Emma urged him. "If he finds you then what will he do? You'll be alone and I...just stay...Erik..."

"You're safe now," Erik told her with a nonchalant shrug. "You're back with Damon and safe. You don't need to worry about me."

"But I do," Emma protested, resting against the railing of the staircase as she continued looking around the golf ball. "Damon saved me Erik...but he's...he's just..."

"What?" Erik pushed her.

"He's not you," she blurted out and her baby blue eyes found Erik's sharp ones as he watched her fidget. "He's not you, Erik. I hate what you have become...but when we're alone...here and now...when you're not Magneto...things are better, Erik."

"Have you forgotten who paralysed your brother?" Erik enquired and saw her jitter for a moment before she shook her head.

"I haven't but Charles is adamant that is an accident. He was the one who told me to forget about that little fact," Emma admitted and Erik chuckled, shaking his head as he did so.

"He's always interfering," Erik muttered. "But you can't forget about it, can you?"

"It doesn't stop how I feel, unfortunately," Emma shrugged, her arms still wrapped around her waist. "I've tried not to like you, believe me."

"Oh, I do," Erik agreed with a smirk on his face again. "I'm not staying, Emma."

"For me?" Emma pleaded suddenly. "Don't go, Erik..."

"Don't ask me to do that," he hissed at her. "Don't ask me to stay for you."

"Is it because I am not enough?"

"Of course not."

"Then what is it?"

"I would not be true to myself if I stayed here, Emma. This is not the life which I want," Erik spoke, standing up slowly, his bones creaking slightly as he adjusted his leather jacket on his frame and Emma walked over to him, looking at him suspiciously as she did so.

"Have we not been through enough fighting?" she wondered aloud, standing back from him for a second. "Why can you not do this, Erik? Why are you full of so much hatred?"

"It is who I am," he promised her, his hand on her neck softly as Emma pushed his hair from his forehead. "I want you with me, Emma. But we both know that won't happen."

"It can't," Emma said and Erik noted moisture building up in her eyes. "I cannot come with you...Erik...why can you not stay?"

"Integration is not an option for me and I am sure many others feel the same," Erik said, kissing her on her forehead before grabbing his case and helmet. Emma watched him move to the stairs before rushing over, her hands wrapping around the metal railing as she looked onto him.

"Until Williams is dead," she garbled and Erik looked up to her, his eyes full of remorse and regret as he saw her begin to cry. "Stay until Williams is gone and you're safe...Erik...please..."

"You're safety is all-"

"-It is not all that matters," Emma snapped before he could finish his sentence. "If you care for me and how I feel at all then please do this."

"Emotional blackmail?" Erik checked and Emma moved down the steps to him and she shrugged.

"Call it what you want as long as it works," she assured him. "I'm tired, Erik. I'm tired of fighting and arguing with you."

"Well you've had enough practice with it," Erik said and she hit him on the arm once.

"If you really cannot stay here...with me...then just wait until this mess is sorted out...and then go...then go if you want to..." she blathered on and Erik took a moment to think about what she said.

"I'm not staying after, Emma. You have to know that." Erik said and she nodded quickly.

"That's all I want." She promised him, resting a hand on his shoulder before walking past him, her breathing heavy as she left him in Cerebro.

...

A/N: So thanks to Sam0728, Ninavs2, darniece and autumn and dreamsnhugs for reviewing the last few chaps! Let me know what you think guys, please! Loads of people have signed up for story alerts/ favourites so thank you for that and do leave me a review!


	28. Chapter 28

"You think you're not enough," Erik informed Emma loudly the next morning. She had gone down to breakfast with her brother before moving into the study and looking up books about genetic mutation which Charles had. She was intrigued as to why Damon had recently just discovered his powers and she was intrigued to know more if she had to be honest. Erik walked in slowly, his hands by his sides as she looked at him, placing a book back into the shelf.

The sunlight was streaming in through the large windows, illuminating the room as Erik squinted whilst he looked at her, his eyes full of compassion as she raised a brow, waiting for what he was going to say next to her.

"Why would you think that?" he wondered and she shrugged. He took in the way her blue dress fitted her frame down to her knees and the way her black curls hung around her shoulders. Her eyes were wide and inquisitive but held bags under them, no doubt from the amount of worrying which she had been doing recently. Life was taking its toll on her and she was only twenty one.

"You won't stay with me, Erik. How can I help but not think that?" she replied with a roll of her eyes, turning back to the books and skimming her finger along their creased spines. Erik narrowed his eyes, moving over to the desk where Charles kept all of his notes and he looked down onto the writing, not truly understanding anything which the telepath had wrote.

"Just because we cannot be together does not mean that you won't be happy in the future, Emma," Erik spoke clearly, his voice slightly cold. "If I were not a mutant then you would be all that I needed. I can assure you that."

"But you are a mutant," Emma said, trying not to sound to bothered about the conversation which they were having as she remained mostly focused on the books. "So things won't be different no matter how much I plead for you to stay."

"I just wanted you to know...you are...you will make some lucky man very happy one day," Erik said and she turned her neck to look at him, her features showing signs of regret and annoyance with the metal bender as she did so.

"And you could have been the lucky man," she said and he grinned gently at her, walking back to the door, pointing at her as he did so.

"I could have been," he agreed. "And I doubt you will find anyone like me."

Emma simply snorted before she heard the door slam shut and she turned her attention the large piece of wood, resting her back against the bookshelf as she did so.

"There is no one like you, Erik Lensherr," she muttered to herself. "I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing."

...

"Is it working?" Emma asked Charles as she found him in Cerebro later on in the afternoon. Damon had gone off with Sean and Alex to show them what he could do after assuring Emma that he would be fine with them. Erik had watched from afar, standing and whispering to Raven as his eyes remained glaring at Damon. He didn't trust him and he never would do. He would also never have Emma with him even when he left. Emma knew that Charles was in the giant transmitter and so decided to go and speak to him instead of sitting around and do nothing. Loneliness was very much undesired for her.

"I cannot reach Williams through this," Charles shook his head. He was sat near the metal controllers, his hands moving over them and pressing down on buttons as he allowed a dejected sigh to escape his lips and he looked back to Emma, forcing himself to smile. "But I will find him soon. Either I find him or he finds us. It is quite simple."

"Quite," Emma echoed, leaning against the metal bars of the podium in the centre of the room. "Have you spoken with Raven much?"

"We talked last night," Charles nodded. "She's...she hasn't changed..."

"Did you think she would have?" Emma wondered, a brow rose in Charles's direction before he shook his head, a small chuckle escaping his red lips as his pale face looked at his sister.

"No," he said. "I just thought with her going away then she may have changed...but...she's still cantankerous and stubborn but with a shining personality."

"I wish she would stay with us," Emma folded her arms. "I don't want her to go, Charles. I've missed her even though I was so annoyed with her for leaving. Fuming, actually."

"I was aware," Charles grinned and then shook his head, pushing a hand through his hair as he looked at her seriously. "Erik doesn't think that she will go back with him. She has seen what she is missing and she misses it too much."

"I hope he is right," Emma mumbled. "I don't think I could say goodbye to her again."

"And what about Erik?" Charles requested. "He told me this morning that he had been persuaded to stay here until we find Williams. I did wonder what had made him change his mind and then I found the answer obvious."

Emma remained silent, her lips tightly closed together as she took a moment to compose her thoughts about what Charles had just told her and she shrugged, looking to the side.

"I suppose when you feel for someone then you will do anything to keep them safe," Emma whispered softly to her brother, her eyes softly looking into his. "I mean he kidnapped me, for goodness sakes."

"Oh my love," Charles shook his head and closed his eyes. "I wish you two would stop being so foolish. It is like the blind leading the blind with you two."

"What do you possibly mean?" Emma asked and Charles chuckled again.

"You two love each other so much that you are blinded by it."

"I think you've been reading too much poetry." Emma dryly told him.

"And I think you need glasses to see what everyone else does," Charles deadpanned and Emma stuck her tongue out at him before they heard footsteps rushing up the steps and they turned to the entrance as Sean's bright hair came into view and his red cheeks were puffing in and out in a rhythmic motion.

"The mansion..." he panted. "It's...it's on fire..."

Emma looked at Charles with wide eyes before he began to move in his chair. Emma rushed ahead of him, running down the ramp to the transmitter as she came onto the large green lawn. She looked into the distance and Sean was correct. Flames were emitted from every window, moving through the house with no mercy. Their heat was felt from a far distance and they stretched on into the bright sky for what seemed liked eternity. Black smoke was pooling around the building as Emma made her way over to the other mutants, her mouth open and her eyes wide with tears. Charles was close on her heels, stopping beside her as he looked bewildered.

"Is anyone in there?" he wondered, looking around.

Alex and Sean were stood with Damon close to them as Erik stood beside Emma and Charles. Emma looked around and then back at her home.

"Raven and Hank!" she exclaimed. "Oh my God...Raven...Raven's in there..."

Emma began to rush forward to the building, her feet hitting the ground as quickly as they could. Before she could reach the gravelled pathway she felt someone grab onto her wrist. Erik hauled her back to him, his arm around her waist as he pulled her tightly against him, stopping her from moving in his vice like grasp.

"Let go!" Emma yelled at him. "Raven! Hank! Raven!"

"Hank went in after her," Erik whispered into her ear as Charles moved down the grass. "He went in after her...you going in will not help anything..."

"I can't sit here!" Emma snapped at him, looking at the flames as Erik did the same, still fighting against her protests. Before they could say anymore a large bang was heard and the flames seemed to ignite further. Erik moved Emma back, his body shielding hers from the flames which they were quite far from as his hand pushed her head into his chest.

"Raven!" she screeched at the top of her voice. "Raven!"

"Hank," Charles suddenly whispered and Emma looked around in time to see the blue beast emerge from the flames, his hand over his mouth as another blue creature limped beside him. Raven. They were both safe as they quickly moved onto the lawn, collapsing down onto the ground beside each other.

"Raven..." Emma fussed around her sister as she coughed loudly, the smoke irritating her lungs. Charles sat beside her, looking down and asking her questions to make sure she was safe. Alex and Sean looked after Hank who was annoyed by their persistency but did not voice his anger. Damon hung back slightly, watching the scene unfold before he looked to the side of the mansion where the tall, plump figure stood along with the red creature and he nodded once.

The plump man nodded back at him as Erik held Emma tightly to him, trying to get her to calm down. In a flash of smoke the pair of them had vanished and Damon's attention went back to the fire.

...

A/N: Overwhelming responses to the last chapter guys. To answer a few questions, I shall probably not be including anymore X Men characters into the story for I don't think I can do their characters justice to be honest. I shall have some more OC's joining throughout the story and I do not know how long I shall continue with the story or how many chapter's it will be. As long as people are reading then I will update and so please do review! Not long until the good stuff happens, you know, where Erik gets to be a hero again and all that! Review!


	29. Chapter 29

Damon slammed his fists down onto the tree trunk which stood before him in the small little forest on the edge of the grounds of the Manor. He had slumped off into the background, his mind frazzled with things which had happened and he shook his head, breathing heavily and resting his back against the tree. He quickly reached into his pocket, pulling out the small white pill and popped it into his mouth. The pills were the only things to stop Charles from getting into his mind.

He didn't want to tell Williams where the mansion was exactly. He didn't want any of this to happen but Williams had made him a promise before he had even managed to capture Emma. He had lured him to Erik and the other mutants against him and done his job. Of course it explained why he had been relaxed when he and Emma were apparently escaping from William's villa. He knew that she would take him to Charles and Erik and then the true war against the mutants would begin. Whilst that happened then Williams promised Damon he could take Emma with him. They could leave and he would never need to see them again.

But then Damon had seen the way Emma and Erik had interacted. How he held Emma whilst her home burnt down did mean something. It was a home which Damon had destroyed. He felt terrible about it. He couldn't bear to stand and watch her sob as she feared she had lost Raven. But he had done it for her. Her home burning down was a sacrifice which he had to make to keep her safe. It was the only way.

...

"It is obvious who it was," Erik hissed at Charles as they stood in the corner, looking across at the burnt down house. Masses of bricks were pushed on top of each other and furniture joined them. The remains of some things were obvious but it was a mess. Smoke still came from the building and ash fluttered across the lawn. Raven was sat with Emma who was continuously fussing around her. Sean, Alex and Hank were all muttering to themselves about the events of the last hour.

"As much as I hate to agree with you," Charles grumbled, "I think you are right in this instance."

"We need to do something further, Charles." Erik said deeply. "We need to think of a plan to get through this."

Charles sighed, pushing his hand through his hair as he looked up to the metal bender who returned the stare, both of them knowing what was happening but neither of them knowing what to do for the best.

"We will come up with one," Charles assured Erik. "Tell me, is it just you who he is after?"

"I believe so," Erik nodded quickly and his glance turned towards the others but he couldn't see the man who he was about to discuss. "Damon may not be in his good books though. He did run away with the hostage."

"Yes," Charles agreed with that statement too. "I will continue to help you, Erik. He took my sister once and he may do that again."

"I don't need your help," Erik spoke in a snap and Charles smirked sarcastically.

"You needed my help once before, Erik. You are in need of it again."

"You are forgetting the small fact that we are enemies," Erik reminded him and Charles snorted loudly, shaking his head as he did so.

"We may not be close friends, Erik," Charles agreed. "I may hate you for what you did to me but as long as Emma is here then we are not enemies, do you understand me?"

Erik remained quiet, his stare turning back to Emma before he nodded quickly once and Charles did the same sternly.

"We will work together until Williams is gone and then you can run along and do what you want, Erik. It really is none of my concern."

...

Emma sat in the motel room which she was sharing with Raven and looked into the magazine Raven had made her buy from the shop around the corner. The night was upon them as Raven peered through the faded net curtains and looked onto the cold evening. Outside was a simple car park surrounding the rooms and a joint wooden boardwalk connected them together. Erik was sharing with Charles and Hank whilst Damon had the joy of Alex and Sean to himself.

"Nothing is going to magically happen if you continue to stare out of that window," Emma informed Raven who turned her head back to look at her, uncurling her fingers from the material and shrugging once.

"You never know," she said dryly. "If something happens then it is better than sitting around here and waiting for it to happen. It is extremely dull."

"I'd rather wait, thank you very much," Emma said, her eyes going wide as she flicked the page quickly and Raven sat down on her own bed, her legs crossed as she sighed once. "What's on your mind, Raven?"

"What makes you think that?"

"The large sigh," Emma suspected. "I also know you and you are my sister."

"I...I was just thinking...you know...Hank saved me from the fire...today..." she shrugged, trying to brush it off as Emma's stare finally moved onto her and the black haired girl raised a brow and Raven glared at her. "Don't look at me like that."

"Come along, Raven," Emma pleaded. "You still like Hank and he still likes you. You need to make a move, Raven."

"Like this?" she motioned to her blue form and snorted once, looking dejected as she shook her head. "I don't think so."

"You're a strong, beautiful, person," Emma promised her sister. "Hank can see you for what you are. You don't need to hide it. He was just annoyed that you left. You need to talk to him."

"I don't think it is right for you to sit here and give me advice," Raven smirked. "You cannot follow your own advice."

"I assume you are speaking of Erik?" Emma checked and Raven nodded. "I already told him how I feel and he won't stop his stupid vendetta against the rest of humans. He's too consumed with revenge and I am not the one to change him. I don't think anyone could change him."

"You mean...when you say you told him how you feel...did you tell him..." Raven blabbered, wondering the best way to phrase it would be.

"I told him that I loved him," Emma said curtly. "And he didn't say it back to me. Can we drop the subject?"

"No," Raven snapped, jumping up and down on her knees on the bed like a giddy schoolchild. "You told him that you loved him?"

"Yes," Emma hissed. "I have also begged him to stay. There is only so much pleading I intend to do."

"Emma," a sudden voice called out as there was a knock on the door. Raven shook her head, laying on her bed and pointing at her sister as she stood up.

"This conversation isn't over. That's just excellent timing," Raven promised her and Emma chuckled, unlocking the door.

"I didn't plan it," she assured her sister and stepped out into the darkness where she saw Damon stood back from the door, his arms folded. She shut the door, folding her arms and looking at him as he pushed his blonde hair behind his ears.

"What's up?" she wondered.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing," Damon said as if it were a casual conversation. "I didn't get a chance to talk to you earlier."

"I'm...everyone is safe...that is all that matters..." Emma said, trying to deny the hurt which she felt from having seen the mansion burnt down. Damon encouragingly smiled at her as the air went silent. "I should be getting to sleep."

"Wait," Damon shook his head. "I needed to speak to you...we need to get out of here..."

Emma remained still, her face scrunching up in confusion before she heard another door open. Both of their sets of eyes turned down the walkway and they saw Erik step out. His jeans covered his legs and his leather jacket was on his body as he looked at them, gum moving in his mouth.

"I thought I heard talking," he informed them, slowly walking up to them. "What's going on?"

"None of your business is what is going on," Damon hissed at Erik who looked slightly entertained in seeing the academic become worked up.

"Does it involve Emma?" Erik wondered.

"Yes."

"Then it is my business," Erik snapped back and Emma rolled her eyes.

"I can fend for myself, Erik. You're not always going to be here to fight my battles." She snapped at him. "Just go back inside...would you?"

"What if I said no?" Erik enquired as a bolt of lightning flew through the air suddenly. Emma jumped back in shock as Erik remained still, his stone cold features not moving on his face as Damon's cheeks turned red.

"That is what will happen if you say no," he promised him and Damon raised a brow, unfolding his arms.

"Is it really?" he asked, taunting him as Emma stepped in between the two of them, looking at the pair of them with swift glances in their direction.

"Give it up," she demanded. "Both of you need to grow up and stop this stupid rivalry thing which you have...seriously...you're not dogs urinating on your territory...give it up."

"I know," Erik snapped.

"Glad you do," Damon smirked. "Because you know that she is mine."

"Jesus Christ," Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm no one's. Understand? I am not a possession. I'm off to bed."

"Emma," Damon protested whilst Erik looked slightly pleased with himself. Damon had dug himself a hole. He knew Emma wouldn't like being referred to as property. She was her own person and Erik liked that about her. He always had done and always would.

"No, Damon," Emma hissed. "We will talk in the morning about this stupid plan of yours."

Emma quickly slammed the door to her room whilst Erik turned his glare onto the young man, his brow raised.

"What plan would this be?" he wondered.

"The plan of mind your own business," Damon said and stormed past Erik. The metal bender had thought about going after him but he decided against it. He wasn't a threat and he wasn't a friend. He would be gone soon enough. Erik shrugged once, knocking back on Emma's door once.

"Damon, for the love of God," she exclaimed as she opened the door and Erik smirked lazily down at her. Emma blinked rapidly when she saw Erik and she then folded her arms.

"What do you want?" she asked him, stepping back outside so Raven couldn't interrupt the pair of them and he pushed his hair back into place.

"I wanted to talk to you," Erik said simply. "I thought that I needed to make up for my behaviour towards you."

"Oh," Emma said, slightly shocked and Erik nodded.

"Just follow me."

Emma did what was asked of her as she followed Erik out to the car park where he raised his hand and the lock to a car came up. Emma's eyes went wide as Erik opened the passenger side door for her.

"What are you doing?" she hissed. "Are you stealing a car?"

"They're not going to know. It will be back in an hour," Erik said nonchalantly. "Get in."

"This is wrong on so many levels," Emma complained, doing as he had told her and Erik chuckled.

"Stay on the lowest level. That's where wrong always works," he promised, shutting the door and opening the driver's side, managing to start the car before he drove off.

"So what is this about?" Emma asked him. "I know you. You don't make anything up to anyone."

Erik smiled quickly, focusing on where he was going before he admitted the truth.

"I thought taking you out was better than sitting in a motel near Damon," he said and she rolled her eyes. "I don't trust him."

"He doesn't trust you."

"But you trust me," Erik retorted. "You need to trust my judgement."

"I'm afraid I can't do that after finding out what you truly believe in," Emma complained. "I know Damon, Erik."

"Then what was his plan about?" Erik enquired. "He wasn't forthcoming with information when I asked him."

"Oh I don't know," Emma shrugged, pushing her hair behind her shoulders as she looked onto the dark night. "It was something about how we need to get away. He was scared and he thinks running away is the answer."

"A coward then," Erik snorted.

"No," Emma replied. "A normal person."

"He's too much of a weasel for you," Erik spoke, indicating to go left as he did so.

"Not this again," Emma moaned. "I can make my mind up. I don't want him back anyway...even if he is a safe bet..."

"A safe bet?"

"He's able to tell me that he loves me and he cares for me," Emma said and Erik pursed his lips, his tongue clenched between his teeth. "He is a safe option for me."

"He is also the wrong option," Erik snapped. "You cannot be serious, Emma. He broke your heart."

"Funnily enough everyone I cared about deeply has done that to me," Emma replied, her voice sounded defeated as she said it and Erik stopped the car on the side of the road. He quickly climbed out, sitting down on top of the front bonnet and Emma followed him, resting against the car as she looked at him.

"Why have we stopped?" she wondered and Erik pointed to the sky.

"Look at the stars." He said to her and she did as he had asked. The night was clear whilst Erik slid down the car again, resting beside her, his arm brushing against hers, leather on pale skin.

"What am I looking at?" Emma wondered, peering up at Erik who rolled his eyes, standing behind her, one arm wrapping around her waist as he pulled her against him. His chin rested on her shoulder as his free arm moved past her body and he pointed up to the sky. Emma felt his breath on her neck and she rested her own hand into his as he rested it against her stomach.

"Cassiopeia," he murmured. "It is the only constellation which I have ever seen."

"I didn't know you were a keen astronomer," Emma whispered and Erik chuckled, burying his face into her neck.

"You had a book of stars in your room. I remember looking through it when you left me the night before the beach to go and talk to Charles. You had circled some constellations which you had seen but not all of them," Erik explained. "I had planned to show you it under better circumstances."

They lapsed into silence once again, just looking up at the sky before Emma turned to look at Erik.

"Stay," she muttered. "Stay with me."

"I'm here now."

"That's not what I meant," she replied softly and Erik leant down closer to her, seeing her eyes flutter shut as he did so.

"I know," he agreed, "but it is good enough for now." And then he kissed her gently once again.


	30. Chapter 30

"Something isn't right," Emma suddenly snapped as Erik continued to kiss her neck, ignoring her protests that she thought something wasn't correct.

"Your mind is playing tricks on you," Erik promised her and she shook her head, placing her hands onto his cheeks and drawing his eyes to look into hers as a loud bang was heard in the distance and the sky was suddenly illuminated with a large bolt of lightning. Erik looked up and then looked back at Emma whose eyes were wide.

"Erik...something is happening..." she worried and Erik quickly took hold of her hand, pulling her back to the car and opening the door for her. He hastily moved around to the driving seat and started the car quickly. Emma looked out the window, bouncing around on her seat and occasionally she looked back at Erik who was fixated on the road as they heard another loud bang.

"What is happening?" Emma worried. The pair of them hadn't travelled far from the motel but it seemed like an entire continent away now that they tried to get back to the place. "Erik...what's happening?"

"I don't know," Erik replied through gritted teeth. "You need to do as I tell you, Emma. Do you understand?"

"What's going on?" Emma simply said and Erik turned to look at her, his face stern.

"You do as I say, Emma. Understand me?"

Emma didn't reply back to him as he stopped the car suddenly and the pair of them climbed out. Emma's eyes began to water at what she was seeing and adrenalin began to pump through her veins.

"Stay here," Erik warned her, outstretching his hand and pulling down the drain pipe, knocking Azazel on the head and leaving Raven free to defend herself.

Emma looked onto the carnage which was building up, the motel set on fire and couples who had been residing there running for their lives. Charles was sat on the car park, his hands on his temple as his face was scrunched up and he focused deeply on controlling the events going on around him. His only issue was Emma Frost. She was stood opposite him, her diamond form obvious as she controlled his mind. Hank was too busy with a blonde girl as she bared her teeth at him, barking like a dog as he pushed her back from him. Sean was screaming as loudly as he could at a young boy with black hair who seemed to be hidden inside of a bubble.

Alex had his match as he flung the red rings at another boy who sprayed them down with water from his hands and Riptide smugly watched on as Raven tried to help Hank.

Emma realised that Frost was the key. If she could get her out of Charles's mind then Charles could control all of the mutants. He could easily stop this ridiculous feud where someone was bound to die. Emma rushed to the trunk of the car as Erik aided Damon against Williams, using his metal power to fling anything he could at the doctor. Emma's hands shook as she popped the boot open, frantically looking inside for anything to hurt Frost with when she came across something which could be useful.

The young woman picked up the baseball bat, holding it in her hands as she made her move over to Frost, her feet treading on the gravel slowly so she tried not to make a loud noise. She looked to the side as Erik yelled out in pain, the metal which he had flung had been heated by Williams and it had then been hit back at him, burning his hands as it did so. Emma quickly raised the baseball bat behind the diamond woman, swinging it back and then hitting her on the back with all of her might. Frost fell to her knees, still in her diamond form before Emma hit her again and Charles looked across, wondering where Frost had gone seeing as how she had left his mind.

"Protecting your dear Erik and elder brother, are you?" Frost asked her, snatching the end of the bat from her with ease and then flinging it across the car park before moving her leg out, tripping Emma up so the young Xavier fell to the ground. Emma yelped in pain as her head hit the gravel and she tried to scramble up quickly. But Frost had other ideas. The diamond woman pinned Emma to the ground, straddling her by her waist as she wormed around underneath her.

"Shall we take a look at your worst nightmare?" Frost hissed and Emma began to yell in pain, her hands moving to her head as she saw snippets of her childhood. Her father hanging dead in the greenhouse. Her mother becoming a recluse, sitting on the floor with pills around her. Charles in the hospital and she had to tell him that he was paralysed. And then Erik leaving with Raven.

"Why don't you pick on someone more like you?" Raven's commanding voice suddenly shouted as she saw Emma yell on the ground and Frost looked up to her, a smirk clear on her crystal face as she stood up, looking at Raven for a moment.

"I'd like to see you try and hurt me, sugar," Frost grinned and Hank suddenly appeared, grabbing her arms and slinging her over his shoulder. Frost retaliated, of course, hitting against Hank as they walked closer to the burning flames.

"The funny thing about diamonds," Raven drawled, "is that they can be destroyed when burning."

Raven didn't watch Hank continue his act as she rushed back to Emma, helping her to her feet.

"You alright?" she asked and Emma nodded quickly, coughing once before she looked back into the commotion. The boy who had been shooting water from his hands was knocked back by Sean's loud yell as Alex then quickly flung the rings at him, knocking him to the ground and making him unconscious. The blonde wolf like girl was on the floor, whimpering as she looked at her ankle which was facing the wrong way. Riptide was busy with Erik as Damon continued calling upon lightning to try and hit Williams.

"Charles!" Emma yelled out his name as he controlled the boy with the defence bubble, making him fall asleep. Charles looked at his sister and he nodded once, noticing Erik being flung across the car park as a large tornado tore through the building of flames, spreading them even further than before.

Emma rushed to Erik's side, kneeling beside him as he coughed for breath after having it knocked out of him.

"Are you alright?" she worried and he nodded. After helping him up he turned back to scene of the crime and then looked back at the car as Riptide knocked Raven to her feet.

"Erik," Emma whispered his name, seeing what he was about to do as he moved his hands in front of him and the metal complied to his will. Picking it up it flew across the air until Erik built up enough speed for it to hurtle towards the man in the purple suit. Riptide flew backwards; his body merging into the flames as Williams was the last one left.

The plump doctor looked around at his mutants who were either knocked out, dead of unconscious. He was alone. Charles took the lead, his hands clasped together tightly as his knuckles turned white. Erik dragged down the metal drainpipe from the building, pushing it towards Williams who was pushed against the brick wall where the fire had yet to reach.

"Erik," Charles called out his name as Erik continued to press against the metal, slowly squeezing the life out of the doctor.

"You don't want to do this," Williams assured Erik who bared his teeth in a sinister smile.

"I think I do," Erik replied. "You see if you weren't such a little toad then I may not be about to kill you. But you were. I need to make sure that you can never hurt anyone again."

"Don't you want to know how I found you?" he choked out, his cheeks turning red and Charles turned away, knowing he couldn't stop Erik from the act he was about to commit. It was his choice. "How easy it has been to find you?"

"No," Erik snapped.

"Damon," he muttered out and Erik looked at the young boy before Williams laughed hysterically. "It was Damon!" he yelled. "He was the one who told me where you all were! He was willing for all of you to die...as long as...his precious...little Emma was safe...for him..."

Everyone turned to look at the blonde but his eyes only found Emma's. She looked hurt with him but not angry. Disappointment was an emotion he was used to giving her.

"Damon?" Emma said; her voice stern. "Is it true?"

"I..." he blathered. "Em...I...I didn't have a choice...he was going to kill them...I just bargained with him...I did it to keep you safe..."

"But you risked the lives of everyone else?" she yelled at him. "You knew my brother was going to be here! You knew Raven..."

"You're all that matters to me," Damon replied back to her.

No one had noticed Williams fall to the floor, his body lifeless as the metal Erik had been using fell before him.

"Shut up," Emma replied. "Just shut up."

"I think you had better go," Charles said, feeling Erik's thoughts and knowing they were not pretty before he glared at Damon.

"But Emma-"

"-I don't want you here!" she yelled at him. "You've been such an idiot...you complete twit..."

"I'm sorry."

"It doesn't cut it," Emma assured him. "Please go, Damon."

Charles sensed the boy's reluctance and pressed his fingers to his temples, controlling him with haste as he did so. Erik looked across as Damon walked away from them all, tempted to go and find him and bring him back, showing him the extent of his mutation.

"Erik," Charles growled as he watched Emma watch Damon walk away. He looked at his sister with a nod and then back to Erik who understood what he was asking. It was not in Erik's genes to forgive and forget but he knew that Emma would kill him if he killed Damon.

And so for one last time, Erik did what Emma would have wanted.

...

Erik had taken Emma to a hotel with him whilst Charles stayed with the injured mutants, asking them about what they wanted. Charles was too kind. He wanted to teach them to use their powers for good. He wanted them to realise that humans would accept them and that they didn't need to fear their mutation. He understood that his home was no more and the school had been run down but he had plenty of money with many thanks to his mother and father. A new, smaller yet comfortable home was affordable.

Charles had seen how upset his sister was and instead of sitting there and watching her cry he had made Erik be the one to take her back to a hotel, trusting the metal bender with her.

"Why didn't you kill him?" Emma whispered as she watched Erik shrug into a bathrobe after having a shower. His hair was wet on his head and his face showed tiredness but the stubble from his chin had gone. He raised a brow at her before kneeling on the floor, his hands holding onto hers in her lap as she sat on the chair.

"You didn't want me to do that, did you?" he asked and she shrugged, her eyes looking straight ahead and emotionless. She was like a blank canvas.

"He lied to me," Emma muttered.

"I know," Erik assured her. "But killing him would have done nothing. He was being selfish and thought he was doing the right thing. It was stupid that he even thought he was helping."

"It's over now," Emma shrugged. "Everything...it will...nothing's going to be the same again."

"You can go back to Oxford and do what you wanted to do," Erik said, his thumb stroking her cheek as his finger rested on the side of her mouth as she looked down onto him.

"And you're going to go back to being an ass," she said and Erik chuckled once, nodding gently as he did so.

"If that's what you think."

"I have one request before you go, Erik," Emma muttered, removing his hand from her face and holding it tightly as she looked at him.

"And what is that?" he asked her.

"Sleep with me," she whispered and Erik's eyes went wide as he took in what she had just asked him before he shook his head.

"I can't, Emma," he replied and she jutted her chin out stubbornly.

"I love you, Erik. I want this if you intend to just leave me here," she snapped at him as he shook his head firmly again, standing up quickly and pushing his wet hair out the way. "You've said it yourself that you've slept with plenty of women before."

"None of them meant anything," he snapped. "None of them had any meaning."

"Why can you not do this?" she wondered. "Erik...I...I love you...please..."

"I can't do it, Emma," Erik spoke quickly. "I can't do this to you and then leave you...your first time...it would be anything but fair..."

"Life isn't fair," Emma reminded him and he shook his head quickly again.

"No. I cannot do it to you, Emma...just see that..."

Emma sighed once, standing up from the chair and falling into the double bed, lying on her side as she pulled the covers around her.

"So you're giving me the silent treatment?" Erik asked her and she remained quiet, confirming his belief. He rolled his eyes, slipping into the covers with his back to hers as he turned out the light.

"Sulking won't give you what you want," Erik assured her. "Goodnight Emma."

She lay in the darkness for a few moments, realising that for one rare time in his life, Erik was actually being a gentleman. She sighed for a second, turning over and resting her face against his back before he turned onto his other side, holding her close to him before he kissed her on the top of her head.

"Will you be here in the morning?" she whispered and Erik took a moment to think about the question.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"Don't go...just don't go during the night...Erik...I won't sleep..."

"Sh," Erik said, sensing her getting worked up as he soother her black hair. "I'll be here in the morning. I promise."

...

A/N: Thanks to anyone who has reviewed and anyone reading! Please let me know what you think guys!


	31. Chapter 31

"You stayed," Emma's voice held one of shock but one of gratitude as she turned over in Erik's hold and he chuckled, ruffling her hair slightly and kissing the top of her head.

"I said I would," he promised her, his voice gruff and dry in the morning as she yawned once, pushing her head into his neck and taking in the scent of him. He still smelt like clean soap along with mint which must have come from the multiple packs of gum which he had chewed yesterday. Emma rested an arm around his waist before realising that he was leaving. He was going and she couldn't even persuade him to do anything other than that.

"Will no amount of words persuade you to stay?" she enquired gently, her hot breath tickling his skin and he shuddered once, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. No. No amount of words would be able to make him live the way she did. It would be hypocritical, indeed. "I don't care about anything that has happened, Erik...what you did to Charles...he seems to forgive you for that...but..."

"Emma," Erik said sternly, stopping her from speaking before he gently wriggled his body, becoming stiff after eight hours of lying in the same position. "Do not become hysterical on me."

Emma took a moment to regain her composure before she managed to look into his dark eyes.

"Please," she simply said. "You don't need to kill anyone else...Erik..."

"Mutants are the more evolved people, Emma. I am sorry for that but it is how it is and the rest of humankind will never accept us." Erik said, his voice strict as he showed her that nothing was going to change and she rolled her eyes, moving out of his hold and lying flat on her back as she looked up to the ceiling.

"What if you don't integrate?" Emma wondered. "Have you ever thought of how good life could be?"

"Quite often," Erik admitted, propping himself up on his elbow, his hand holding onto his head as he continued to look at her, his hand softly resting on her stomach as he played with the material of the robe she wore. Her stomach fluttered slightly as he did it and she tried to stay still. "And then I remember about the other people who are suffering like I did all those years ago. I remember how there is no need for them to have to suffer and they need to realise that they are better than anyone else."

Emma took a second to think about what he had just said before she turned back to look at him.

"I'll be in Oxford," she murmured and his hand trailed up her side and rested on her neck, his fingers fluttering there as she gulped once. "You know that, don't you?"

"Yes," Erik replied with a grin and Emma nodded at him.

"So if you ever...well..."

"I will know where you will be," Erik spoke with a smirk. "I know where to find you. I have been thinking...about your request..."

"Oh," Emma said, her voice rising and sounding hopeful as Erik nodded once, leaning closer to her as he did so.

"Are you serious?" he asked and she nodded once at him, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red as she did so. "I don't want to be the one who you...I just don't want to hurt you...Emma...emotionally...I mean."

"You won't," she said eagerly with promise. "I love you, Erik."

"I just feel selfish for doing it," he said, kissing her cheek.

"You don't need to," she assured him. "I want this before you go, Erik."

"I just don't want to ruin your virtue," Erik muttered. "Not like this...not when you could find someone more special..."

She shook her head, her hand holding onto his cheek as she forced him to look at her.

"You're special," she whispered, her voice full of hope as she smiled gently at him. "You're special, Erik."

And that wall it took before he knew what he wanted.

...

Emma stayed with Erik until ten o'clock when he moved and decided to get dressed and ready to leave. He had nothing with him. The only clothes he had were the ones he had found himself in the previous night and they were looking a bit rough and ready. He had no choice though. He was pretty sure that the helmet had been lost but he didn't know anymore than that. If Shaw had been able to have one made then he was positive he could. Magneto didn't settle for second best.

He shrugged into his leather jacket, checking his reflection in the mirror and feeling Emma's eyes on him. She hadn't stopped watching him ever since he had moved. She was completely infatuated with his every move for some reason. She had finally moved into the bathroom, placing on the blue dress she had been wearing and she tried to make her hair look presentable. When she moved out to the bedroom again she wrapped her arms around Erik's waist, her cheek resting in between his shoulder blades as he rested his own hands onto the top of hers.

"Charles should be in the reception. He said he would be there at half past for you," Erik muttered, closing his eyes for a moment and Emma nodded once. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," she informed him. "Good...just...well..."

"Sore?" Erik wondered and he could feel her cheeks heat up as she entwined his fingers into hers.

"But good." She promised him.

"You don't regret it?"

"Do you?"

"I asked first."

"No."

"And neither do I."

They remained in silence for a few second before Emma took the initiative to speak.

"Stay," she encouraged and he chuckled deeply. She didn't give up and neither did he. It seemed as if they were bound to dance this waltz for the rest of their lives.

"Come with me," Erik retaliated and Emma sighed, patting him once on the stomach before moving away from him.

The pair of them moved down to the foyer in silence, not knowing what to say to each other as they neared Charles who was looking at them as he sat in his chair. Alex was by his side, his arms folded and his chin jutting out as they watched Emma and Erik near them.

"Good morning," Charles said brightly. He still wore the same outfit from the previous evening but he looked a lot more dapper with his hair clean and his eyes beaming after a night of full sleep.

"Did any of the mutant's stay?" Erik asked him quietly and Charles nodded.

"Emily, Roger and Nick are their names and they have decided to give me a trial run. Of course, I don't know where this will be," Charles mused for a moment and Alex looked at Emma and Erik.

"You two look rough," he commented and Emma snorted once.

"Well after seeing your home burn down and then being in the midst of a full scale war can do that to people," Emma informed him and he grinned for a second. She had not lost her wit then.

"We just need to be thankful that everyone is okay," Charles spoke quickly. "I've been to the bank and the good chap there said that I can withdraw as much money as I need to for a deposit on a home which I have found."

"And you will continue training?" Erik asked and Charles nodded once at him, his lips stern as he did so.

"You will continue on your mission of hate?" Charles asked Erik and he chuckled, placing a loose strand of hair back into place as he looked around.

"If you want to call it that," he said nonchalantly and Charles remained stern looking, his face thoughtful as he did so.

"You can use your powers for so much more," Charles whispered and Erik shrugged, moving his hands into his pockets as he did so.

"And that is what I plan to do. Our definitions of good just waver."

"You can't change his mind," Emma said, sensing her brother's determination to just that and he looked at her, their blue eyes meeting as she bit her bottom lip and shook her head. "He won't stay."

"You will have forgotten about me in another few weeks," Erik spoke, sounding undedicated whilst Emma rolled her eyes.

"I somehow don't think so."

Three weeks later

"No," Emma informed Charles as she pushed her brother through the large DIY shop, looking around at the tins and colours of paints which sat on top of the shelves. Charles looked up, his brow raised as he did so.

"What is wrong with it?" he wondered and Emma stopped pushing him, touching a tin before she shook her head at him.

"It is too deep. I want something a little more lighter than that," she told her brother and he shrugged once.

"I wish I had stayed in New York now," he complained and she swatted him on the arm, squatting down to look at another paint tin as she did so.

"You maybe should have. You have only just bought a new home. Can you imagine the damage which the mutants are doing to it?" Emma asked with a slight grin on her face as Charles ran his hands over his cheeks, pulling them down as he worried a bit.

"Raven assured me that she would see to it there was no havoc being caused," Charles informed his sister who looked at him sceptically. "She has matured slightly and Hank is there. The two of them will create law and order."

"Of course," Emma said, not sounding convinced as she did so. She stood back up, beginning to push Charles again as she looked around. "So how are the new recruits?"

"Settling in just well, thank you," Charles said with a smile on his face. "Emily is getting along well with Raven whilst Rodger has found a fellow troublemaker in Sean and Alex. Nick is much quieter and likes science like Hank. I think they're all happy together."

"I'm so happy Raven stayed."

"So am I," Charles nodded in agreement. "I don't know what I would have done without her."

"Quite," Emma said with a smile as she stopped in the wallpaper section, looking at the different patterns available as Charles coughed once.

"I have been meaning to ask you if you are alright," Charles said and Emma looked at him, still smiling as she did so.

"Why would I not be?" she wondered and Charles raised a brow in her direction.

"I've been hearing you wake up early in the morning and rushing to the bathroom for the past two mornings," Charles said and Emma waved it off, her hand moving her hair behind her ears as she did so.

"I think it must have been something I ate recently. We had that steak the previous night and then I finished the leftovers for dinner which was silly of me because I know it was that which gave me food poisoning." Emma promised her brother, bending down again and running her hands down her legs to the floor to steady herself. "You don't need to worry. I mean, what else could it be? I'm fine now."

"Yes...well..." Charles said uncomfortably and Emma picked up on his tone as she stood with a roll of wallpaper which was already opened so you could cut some off and take it home. She looked down at him in a quizzing manner and gasped once, her eyes going wide and she shook her head.

"Did you think...you thought I was..." she blabbered and Charles shrugged, knowing what she was talking about.

"I had wondered," Charles said as people passed them in the aisle and Emma glared at him.

"And you decided to scare me and wonder in the middle of a DIY shop?" she hissed at him and he raised his hands in surrender to her.

"I was concerned, Emma. At least with people here then you can't make a scene," Charles said and Emma snorted once.

"Oh can't I? You don't know me very well then, Charles," she snapped quietly and Charles shook his head.

"So you're not?" he asked her.

"No," she replied. "I think I would know if I was pregnant, Cha..." she trailed off, thinking about the word which had just escaped her mouth and Charles took in her stiffening body as she dropped the roll of paper to the floor, allowing it to nearly hit Charles as she did so. She looked down at her brother with worry before pressing her hand to her stomach. It couldn't be. She could not be pregnant. But it had all happened in the heat of the moment. Erik had been there. They had both wanted it before he left. The repercussions were not something she had thought about and she was sure he hadn't either.

"Emma," Charles growled lowly. "Are you?"

"I don't know," Emma whispered. "I don't know."

...

A/N: So there we have it guys. Thanks to all of you have reviewed and anyone who has placed this onto an alert or favourites. I probably won't be updating again until Tuesday now because I am so busy with life in general BUT there may be another chapter out today if I get time. So let me know what you think! Is she pregnant? Do you want her to be pregnant? And how will Erik react?


	32. Chapter 32

"Sitting here and not going to look at the result will do no one any good." Charles told his sister. Emma was stood in the living room, her fingernails being chewed on as she paced up and down the sofa which Charles was sat on, his face looking stern and concerned as Emma shook her head, occasionally looking into the hallway and straight across at the bathroom where her result sat.

"I can't go and look," she complained, her legs feeling slightly like jelly as she continued walking up and down, her hands running through her hair and pushing it from her face as she sweated slightly. She continued to press a hand to her stomach every few seconds. "I can't do it, Charles. How could this happen? How could I have been so stupid? I just...I didn't even think...I was too preoccupied to go and get the pill...the next day...everything just seemed to happen..."

"Excuses now are not going to make up for the past mistake," Charles informed his sister who turned her deadly glare onto him.

"You think I don't know that?" she snapped. "You think I don't know ridiculous this is?"

"You don't know anything," Charles said, his voice raised an octave higher than normal as he looked at Emma. "You need to go and see the result before you jump to any conclusions."

"What do I do if it is positive?" she wondered, flapping her arms by her side before looking up to the ceiling, trying not to cry as she did so. "I'm in the midst of completing my thesis...to become a professor...I'm twenty one...twenty one, Charles," she said as if she couldn't believe it and he looked at her pityingly as she collapsed onto her knees in front of the coffee table, her face turning pale as she did so.

"You need to calm down, Emma," Charles murmured. "You don't even know what is going on yet. Go and look at the test."

"You go," she retorted and Charles shook his head, his nose scrunching up slightly as he did so.

"You have urinated on it. I am going nowhere near it," he informed her and she remained seated, clearly not going anywhere and Charles looked at her with a raised brow, his hand raised and he fluttered his fingers before pressing two to his temple and she finally slammed her fists onto the wooden table and stood up quickly.

"I'm going," she said, trudging off down the hallway so he didn't need to control her mind. Charles remained silent, listening in as he heard the bathroom door open and then all went quiet for a few moments. The suspense was quite literally killing Charles. She hadn't screamed out in joy or worry or broke down in tears. Instead she remained quiet before Charles decided he couldn't take it anymore.

"Emma?" he asked her and a second later she moved out from the bathroom, the stick still in her hands and her eyes wide, her face emotionless as she looked at Charles and nodded once.

"It's positive," she whispered. "I'm pregnant."

...

"You have missed one hell of a month," the masculine voice called out and he sat down on the bench beside the woman. She wore her regular short black dress which barely covered her thighs. She crossed her legs, showing off the leather boots and she turned her upper body to the left, the leather jacket squelching as she did so. He remained looking straight ahead where a mother was feeding ducks with her son, holding him by his sides so he didn't fall into the water below him as he violently threw the bread as far as he could.

"I take it that it has been interesting?" she wondered, her black hair cascading behind her shoulders as she tossed it behind her and the man chuckled, entwining his hands before his stern jaw turned in her direction, his eyes looking into hers.

"Very," he nodded in confirmation. "The team have disappeared."

"Oh?" she asked, slightly shocked. "What happened to them?"

"There was a war which you weren't a part of. I came here to see if you were intending to come back with me or not," he spoke clearly. "You're the only mutant which I have left from the original team."

She took a moment to think about what he had asked and she shook her head sadly, looking out to the playground where multiple children were and she smiled sadly.

"I'm not interested," she promised him. "I have other things to do."

"And what would they be?" he pondered aloud, watching her intently and wondering what was going on with her as she looked at him with a small smile.

"I have a sister," she shrugged once. "I have a sister I didn't know about, Erik. She needs me."

Erik took a moment to think about what she had just said and he remained stern looking, not feeling anything about what she had just told him. Erik folded his legs, moving the hat on his head as he did so.

"I have only just found out. I decided after the day on the beach I needed to reconcile with my parents...the life I had been leading...they couldn't accept me for it but I needed to tell them things had changed and I had left." Angel said prominently, sounding extremely proud of her decision as she continued to look straight ahead and Erik listened to the story with intent. "So I came back to Chicago to find them but they...a car crash...something so trivial..." she paused for a second, her voice emotionless but with a little tint of regret for never getting to tell her parents what she felt. "And then they told me that I had a little sister. She had to go into care...but...then I thought about it...I thought about coming back to you and the others...rejoining the life which I was sure was better for me."

"So why didn't you?" Erik asked and Angel shrugged once, looking back into his eyes as she did so and she shifted on the wooden bench slightly.

"I didn't think I could give her what she wanted. I'm a stripper, for heaven's sake," Angel rolled her eyes. "But the least I owed her was a visit, wasn't it? I mean...she's my little sister..."

"And so what changed? Why are you still here?" Erik asked her.

"She was the cutest little thing which I have ever seen. I couldn't leave her in care. I got a job here. I started waitressing. It is enough to pay for rent and tips help to cover over little luxuries. I'm working on being able to give her a stable home before she can come back and live with me," Angel said to Erik. "I couldn't come back to you and I don't want to. For the first time in a long time...I'm happy..."

Erik went quiet, not knowing whether to admire her decision or tell her how terrible it was that she was joining the humans.

"You're better than them, Angel," he informed her, his brows furrowing together and raising halfway up his forehead. "You're a mutant. You shouldn't need to hide."

"I know," she agreed, "but for Angela...what is the point in going against the humans when you can live happily with them?"

"Because you know better than anyone how they look at you," Erik hissed at her. "You're in a mediocre job when you could have so much more."

"I'm content," she retorted. "What will arguing do? It does no good, Erik. It is a waste of time. No...I'm doing this for Angela. It may not be what I really want but for her...to give her a good life...to make her happy...I will do this..."

"You can give her a good life if you join me," Erik retaliated and she shook her head quickly.

"You're consumed of hate, Erik. I don't want Angela anywhere near that. Why can you not see that living happily with someone who you love is enough?" Angel asked him, her face confused as she did so. "I'm willing to make sacrifices for Angela and I am happy because of it."

"So you're sacrificing what you believe in for happiness?" Erik checked with her, not understanding her beliefs at all and she shrugged once at him.

"I guess so," she said, sounding overjoyed with it. "Tell me, would you not be happy with your family? Would you rather go out and destroy humans or would you rather live peacefully and be happy with those who you love?"

Erik took a moment to think about before Angel stood up. Had she just struck a chord with him? Was she talking sense to a man like Erik Lensherr? He had a chance to be happy and he had refused to take it up. He had the chance to live in harmony but he had turned it down.

Angel looked down onto Erik, placing her hands into her pockets as she did so.

"It has been nice knowing you, Erik...but...from now on...I'm not interested in Mutants vs. Humans...I'm just interested in making my little sister happy."

Erik watched her walk away from him and he remained seated on the bench for a while longer, taking in what she had just said. He had gone back to his brooding ways and he didn't truly know what to think about anything. He had come back to find Angel with the belief that she would return to him. Instead she had done nothing but mess with his mind. How he hated the complexity of the brain.

...

"I do not want to ask you this," Charles said as soon as Emma had thrown the stick into the bin and had returned with another four from the chemist. The woman behind the counter had looked at her with a strong smile, assuring her that the test can sometimes be wrong and that she could be pregnant. She had told her not to give up hope. Emma had slammed the money onto the counter, telling the woman she didn't want to be pregnant and that she should keep her overly large spotty nose out of her business. When she looked back at it she had been a bitch but she was worried and annoyed and not in the mood for human contact.

"What?" Emma snapped at Charles and he picked up on her attitude change.

"Well...you have discussed how you do not understand how you could be so stupid but...the other...well...Emma..." Charles blabbered as she tore open the green chemist bag, pulling one test out and depositing the others onto the coffee table.

"Spit it out," she demanded.

"Who is the father?" he asked and Emma blinked a few moments.

"What do you mean?" Emma asked him, slightly confused and Charles did his best not to retaliate with a sarcastic answer.

"Is it Damon or Erik?" he asked and she sighed for a second.

"Erik," she muttered his name and Charles dejectedly looked down into his lap. Erik Lensherr. His ex best friend had managed to get his little sister pregnant. He didn't know who he wanted the father to be. Preferably none as he would have preferred his sister not to get into this stupid dilemma.

"Are you going to tell him?" Charles asked and Emma shook her head.

"Why are you not?" Charles asked her and she chuckled darkly.

"Can you imagine how he would react?" she snapped. "He has gone off on his own. He does not do family life and neither do I, Charles. I don't want to settle down with a baby."

"I'm afraid you may have no choice," Charles pointed out and Emma shook her head again.

"I am going to get my thesis done and I am going to be a Professor, Charles," Emma assured him. "Just because this has happened does not mean I am going to jeopardise my career."

"I think Erik has a right to know," Charles said clearly to her. She stood in front of him, the box in her hand as she tapped it against her palm and listened to her brother speak to her. "He is going to be a father, Emma. You cannot keep something like this from him."

"How do I tell him, Charles?" Emma whispered softly, appearing to have calmed down a bit. "He didn't want to stay with me so why would he want me now?"

"Because you are carrying his child," Charles spoke to her and she shook her head.

"I wasn't enough back then and I am not tying him down now just because I am pregnant." She declared.

"He may realise the error of his ways?" Charles suggested to her.

"I doubt it," Emma said. "He has made his feelings rather well known. He would not want a baby tagging along with him and I would not want a child anywhere near him when I know what he plans to do."

"He has a right to know, Emma," Charles said sternly, unbuttoning the top button of his purple shirt. "He has the right to make his mind up about what decision he will take when he knows he has a child."

"How do I tell him without him hating me?" Emma worried and sat beside her brother, discarding the box as Charles wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "He won't want me when he realises, Charles. I am sure about that."

"My love," Charles sighed gently. "You both got yourself into this mess, did you not? It takes two to tango."

Emma remained silent, rolling her eyes at her brother's comparison before closing her eyes.

"I want to tell him," she admitted. "I don't want to do this alone. I'm scared...Charles...I'm so scared..."

Charles kissed the top of her head before squeezing her shoulder.

"I know you are but you are not alone. Regardless of Erik's decision...you're not alone...Emma...Raven and I are here. We'll always be here."

...

A/N: Another chapter for your Friday. Hope you're enjoying it and please do review!


	33. Chapter 33

Emma moved from her double bed in the early morning. She had been tossing and turning throughout the night, pushing the covers back when she had been sweating and then pulling them back up when she was cold but there was no good medium. She yawned loudly, moving around her dark room and trying not to bump into the bedside cabinet or set of drawers as she found her silken dressing gown on the floor.

She shrugged into it whilst walking out of her room and down the hallway to where the kitchen was. Hitting the light switch was enough to illuminate the tiled room as she poured water into the kettle and then placed it onto the boil on the stove, waiting for it to warm up as she placed tea into a cup.

"Make mine a coffee."

Emma jumped out of her skin as she grabbed onto the side, trying not to fall over as she turned around and saw him sat there on the sofa. She pulled the dressing gown tighter around her, as if she was trying to conceal her secret from him. He was sat on the sofa, his legs crossed over and his hands clenched together as he looked over at her.

"What are you doing here?" Emma wondered, taking the kettle off the boil and letting it cool down, not interested with a drink when she had him in her apartment. "How did you get in here?"

"Your brother told me something was wrong," Erik said to Emma, sounding uninterested and tired as Emma stood in the open arch, leaning against the wooden frame as she looked at Erik intently, tucking her hair behind her ears. "He didn't specify what was wrong hence why I am here."

Emma remained silent, not even knowing what to say to him. Surely blurting it out would not go well at all. She was scared of him. No, she wasn't scared of him but she was just scared of how he would react. Would he yell at her? Would he tell her that he would stay? What would he do? Well, she wouldn't know if she didn't tell him.

He looked smart and dapper in his grey suit with a black tie around his neck. There was no gum in his mouth and his hair was neatly in place. It was almost as if he had been on a night out which she had interrupted. Well, what Charles had interrupted.

"Well?" Erik asked her, his eyes looking into her blue ones as his face remained confused as to what was happening. "Is something wrong?"

Emma didn't say anything again to him. She needed to ready him for the blow.

"Do you want a drink?" she stalled and turned back into the kitchen, busying herself with pulling glasses out of the cabinet. She struggled with the door, knowing that it didn't shut all the way because of the way it hung on its hinges. There was a certain knack to it which she couldn't handle at two in the morning. She noted Erik had moved into the kitchen and he stood behind her, taking over from her struggles and placing the door back into its proper place.

"Thanks," she said and turned to the fridge, looking to see what drinks there were. An orange juice wouldn't do for this. She moved over to the cabinet in the corner, bending over and pulling out Charles's hidden bottle of whiskey which wasn't that hidden in general.

"What is going on, Emma?" Erik asked; his voice low in the middle of the night as Emma unscrewed the lid, tipping the liquid into the glass and filling it up too far. She didn't know how strong he would need it but it was better to be safe. She handed him the glass and he took it, looking at the drink which was more than a normal shot of whiskey and his eyes returned to her, clearly concerned.

"You do know that if I drank all of this then my liver would shut down immediately?" Erik asked her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"You might need it," she simply replied and Erik rubbed a hand on his temple, wondering what the hell she was talking about.

"I don't want to be pushy, Emma," Erik promised her, trying not to annoy her. "I just want to know what is going on."

"The thing is," Emma drawled, looking at the alcohol in his hand and wishing she could have some to give her Dutch Courage. "I don't think that you do want to know what is happening."

"It would maybe help if you would stop talking in riddles," Erik said to her and her cheeks turned red whilst Erik leant against the worktop, the glass in his hand before he sipped on it quickly, feeling the burning sensation move down his throat.

"The issue we have...Erik...that night...well...I don't think we understood the consequences," Emma blathered on and Erik remained silent for a second, thinking about what she had just told him before he shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he did so.

"I said...I didn't think it was a good idea...I knew it would make you more emotional and-"

"-It isn't that," Emma said, stopping him from going off on the wrong track. She once again pulled the silken robe tighter around her body and twirled a string of hair around her finger absently. "It isn't that, Erik."

"Then what is it?" Erik said, genuinely confused as to what she was talking about.

"I'm pregnant, Erik," Emma whispered, barely audible to him and he tried not to drop the glass from his hand as he looked at her and she watched the floor, unable to see his reaction. She was waiting either for the breaking of her home or for him to storm out. She didn't know what option she would have preferred.

Erik's heart rate began to speed up as he placed the glass to his lips, his hand shaking as he did so and he downed more of the alcohol, thinking about what she had just said. She was pregnant.

"Am I the father?" he whispered, not even understanding what she had just really said to him.

"Of course," she snapped, looking back up to him. "I didn't sleep with anyone else after you, Erik. I am not-"

"-Okay," Erik said, shaking his head and interrupting her before she could continue with her rant. "I didn't mean it...I just...well...this is ridiculous..."

"I still can't believe it either," Emma muttered and Erik drank more of the alcohol, trying to control his rage which was burning inside of him.

"How can this have happened?" Erik said, shaking his head. "How could we have been so stupid?"

"What?" Emma said, taking her turn to be confused. "You're not mad with me?"

Erik looked at her and took in the emotions which she was showing. She had been scared of how he would react. She had been scared of him. Erik shook his head as he looked at her, placing the drink onto the side. How could she have been scared of him? After all that they had been through she should not have been scared of telling him anything. Did she not know that he cared deeply for her? Did she not know that he would not do anything to hurt her? He couldn't do that to her after everything which had happened. But she didn't know that. Erik had only told her that he would keep her safe. She had told him that she loved him. Why could he not do the same?"

"How could I be mad with you, Emma?" Erik asked her, running a hand through his hair as he did so. "I need some air."

Erik moved over to the door quickly and Emma followed him slowly, standing back for a moment.

"Don't you think we need to talk about this?" Emma wondered and Erik's shoulders slumped down slightly and he turned back to look at her, his eyes warm and concerned for her but worried about what was happening.

"We will," he promised her. "I just need to clear my head, Emma. We need to know what to do for the best."

"You're not going to run, are you?" she asked, genuinely worried. She was scared and Erik knew it. He shook his head at her before opening the door slowly.

"I may be a monster, Emma," Erik said gently to her, "but not towards you. I will come back and we will discuss this."

...

A/N: Just another little chapter for Friday. Do let me know what you think guys!


	34. Chapter 34

Seven cups of coffee later and Emma was still waiting for Erik to come back to the apartment. She sat in silence, the only noises audible were Charles and his deep snores coming from his room. Time went by so slowly and every second that ticked by felt like an eternity. The small clock on the mantelpiece continued to make the tick tock noise and it soon became unbearable to listen to. Draining off the bottom of the coffee, Emma stood up, walking back into the kitchen and contemplating making another drink. She decided against it, convinced she would be at the toilet all day if she had any more fluids. Placing the cup into the empty, stainless steel sink she listened out intently before hearing a knock on the door. She rushed to the piece of wood and quickly undid the bolt, pulling it open.

Erik was stood on the doorstep, his cheeks tinted red due to the cold and his face showing tiredness and concern as Emma wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to feel the cold.

"You came back," she said, her voice holding the element of doubt as per usual and Erik nodded in agreement, slowly moving forward to get out of the cold as she stepped back.

"You doubt me too much," he whispered softly, closing the door and locking it once again. "I said I would come back."

"I..." Emma garbled for a second before looking to the floor and shrugging once. "I didn't know whether you would want to..."

"I may be many things," Erik drawled, "but I am not the type of man to rid his problems onto someone else. I've never done that before."

"I know," Emma said, truly understanding that he was talking the truth as she nodded at him and managed a small smile. "You were a Nazi hunter, after all."

Erik bared his teeth in a small grin before looking around the apartment, hearing a loud snore come from Charles and he rolled his eyes. Erik took the lead, sensing that Emma was confused and mixed up, truly not knowing what to do in this situation.

"We should sit down and talk about it," Erik suggested and placed his hand onto the small of her back, guiding her to the sofa where she settled on the edge of it, her head bowed and her hands in her lap as Erik thought that she looked like she was about to cry.

"What is there to talk about, Erik?" she wondered quietly, her voice a small noise. Erik ran his hands over his face, closing his eyes tightly and then moving his hair back into its correct place as he shrugged once.

"You will be keeping the child, won't you?" Erik asked her and she looked at him, truly disturbed that he would suggest her doing anything other than that. Erik shook his head as her mouth hung open, stopping her from going on her rant before she could even begin to start.

"I mean that you don't want to get rid of it because even for me...that's low...and I don't think...I wouldn't want that to happen. But you are an intelligent girl with a career ahead of you-"

"-I can have a career and a child," she told him determinedly. "I don't intend to give anything up, Erik."

"Would it not be hard?" Erik wondered, picking a small piece of fluff from her hair and holding it in his hands, transfixed by it. "If you went back to university pregnant, would people not talk?"

Emma remained silent then. She hadn't thought about that. The questions which would be asked by the academic socialites would be awkward to handle and even worse to answer. Especially if they knew Erik was the father. She couldn't have them know that a thirty one year old man she had known for over three months was the father. The rumour mill would indeed spin. And if she didn't say anything they would be bound to think that Damon was the father hence why he wasn't at university. They would think he found out and left her to cope with it on her own so that his reputation was not ruined.

Emma bit her lip harshly, her mind working overtime for half past four in the morning before she dropped her head into her hands, sniffing loudly once.

"I didn't...that never...bloody hell..." she complained and Erik rested his hand onto her shoulder, squeezing it in encouragement before she looked straight ahead again.

"University is the least of your worries," Erik spoke gently to her. "Education is something which can be postponed. Look at your brother. He is twenty eight and has only just become a Professor. I never even went to university."

Emma looked across to him, her eyes wide as she thought about what he had just said.

"You've never told me what you did," she whispered and Erik looked away from her, blinking quickly before his jaw clenched in the usual menacing way.

"It isn't important. If we make it through this then we shall discuss it," Erik spoke to her, his voice stern and commanding authority and Emma remained mute, deciding it best not to push him about the issue when he was clearly not in the mood to talk about it.

"So what should we do?" Emma concluded. "I don't think I could handle staying in Oxford...when I get fat and ugly...people will talk...and it isn't like I have any friends here..."

"You could go back with Charles?" Erik suggested with a shrug. "You would be in New York where no one knows you."

Emma nodded in agreement. Hiding with Charles would be her safe option. What was to say that she couldn't go to a university in America when everything had settled down? She would be closer to Charles and Raven too. It would make more sense. But what part was Erik going to play in all of this?

"So if I go to New York," Emma said, hypothetically speaking and she stared at Erik, "what will you do?"

Erik took a deep breath, not knowing how to even tell her the next part. Emma's vision of a happy family was something which Erik was not prepared to play along with. He didn't do settling down. She continued to look at him and Erik tried not to become nervous or annoyed with the way her eyes looked so vulnerable. The way she looked like she depended on him.

"I am prepared to visit you in New York," Erik said to her. "You and the baby are important to me but I need to continue on working with mutant kind...once the baby is born then I would want to be a part of its life . Have you thought that it could possibly be like me? I would want to show it how to use its powers to best of its abilities. I would care for it when needed but I need to continue working with mutants."

Emma gasped once in disbelief and she stood up, her hands flapping by her side as she moved away from Erik who rested on the edge of his seat.

"So what?" Emma snapped. "You're going to leave me alone with full time care of a baby whilst you go around and...no...Erik...no...I am not letting you have any part of this child's life if you continue killing people like you have been doing!"

Erik stood up, pointing to himself as he did so, his eyes glaring at Emma as she cradled her stomach, looking as if she was protecting the child from him. Why could she not understand anything?

"I have offered you full support, Emma. Whenever you need me then I would be there for you. You know that. But I refuse to give up what I have fought so hard for!" he yelled back at her and she began to cry gently.

"You cannot pick when you do or do not want to be a part of its life, Erik!" Emma yelled at him. "I am telling you now that if you insist on still being...Magneto...then...I will not let you near the baby..."

"I am the father!" he roared. "I get a say in this too, Emma! If the child is like me then it will need to know how to use its powers. Do you not think I am the best one to teach it that?"

"No!" Emma retorted quickly as Erik made his way over to her and she shook her head hastily. "You...you would turn it against the rest of humankind...in the way you believe...that is not the life I want for my baby!"

"So what?" Erik snapped, grabbing onto her wrist in his grasp tightly, his eyes narrowed at her with annoyance and anger as she fought in his hold, trying to get his vice like hold off of her. "You don't want me to have anything to do with this child? I would love it just like I love you, Emma. Why do you think me so devoid of emotion?"

"Because you are," Emma spat out and Erik pushed her against the wall, looking into her tear stained face as he did so. She hit her head on the plastered wall, breathing deeply as Erik continued to hold her wrist. "You...you can't love...normally...Erik..."

"I'm not normal," he replied to her.

"I know," Emma complained. "But if you loved me...if you wanted this child then you would stop this...you would show our baby how to be good...Erik...how to use its powers for good like you once did...please..."

"I still do use mine for good," Erik said, his voice lowering slight as he felt Emma's body sob against his and she shook her head.

"You're willing to kill innocent people, Erik...that's not good..." she said to him, still hysterical and he pulled away from her, looking at her and seeing what he had reduced her to.

"Love is supposed to be enough, Erik," Emma said to him, slumping down the wall and pulling her arms around her knees, her face still looking into his cold one.

"It can never be enough," Erik whispered to her. "There is always something else."

"Get out, Erik," she begged him, resting her head into her knees, unable to look at him as he saw just her black curly hair. "Please go..."

Erik looked at her for a second, thinking about what she had just said to him and he slowly moved over to the door, his breathing uneven as he did so before he pulled it open and slammed it shut.

Charles wheeled himself out into the living room after changing into a purple shirt and his trousers and he saw his sister at the far side of the room, collapsed into a ball as her body shook. He moved himself over to her, his hand resting on her arm and she looked up to him and he tried to smile back to her, trying to tell her everything would be alright but he couldn't do it.

"I told him," she muttered. "It didn't change him...Charles...nothing will change him...he wanted me to go with you and he said he would care for the baby...but he wouldn't...he wouldn't stop...Charles...he just wouldn't stop.

"Sh," Charles soothed her, damning the fact his legs didn't work as he gently helped her up from the floor and awkwardly made it over to the sofa before he moved onto it and she leant into his hold. "I'm here for you."

"He wanted...he wants it to have the same...beliefs as he does...I couldn't allow it...Charles...I can't let him do that..." she cried, looking at Charles as if she was begging him to understand. He moved her hair from her wet cheeks and placed his arm around her as she leant over his body, her hand resting just below his shoulder as she pressed her neck into his face.

"Why can't he love me?" Emma whispered. "Why can't he just love me?"

Charles didn't say anything back to her for he truly did not know the answer to her question.

...

A/N: So Erik stood up to his responsibilities but not in the right way, huh? Anyway...I thought I would just squeeze this chapter in before I depart for a while. So when I come back I hope to see many reviews! Girl or boy? Which gender do you think? Thank you to Ninavs2, Kathy, Trulzxoxo, darniece, OrangeLoveVamp, fan17, HeartyJessica, Scribbled Truth and Breathwithme for reviewing yesterday!


	35. Chapter 35

"I have a question," Emma stated the next morning as she and Charles sat at the small dining table next to the kitchen. Charles held his periodic table of elements mug around his hands, feeling the warmth on his pale fingers whilst his eyes were narrowed on hers which were looking into the glass of orange juice sat in front of her.

"And what is worrying you, my love?" Charles asked and she brought her eyes back up to look into his.

"Erik," she admitted, scratching the side of her arm and Charles chuckled once which caused Emma to raise her brow as her brother shook his head, still grinning.

"That is a very broad topic," he said lowly.

"He's a very deep person," Emma complained, draining off some of the orange juice before she shook her head, tapping her fingers against the wooden surface as she crossed her legs, looking around and trying to draw inspiration for telling her brother what was bothering her. "I fell for him, didn't I?"

"I would say so," Charles nodded, wondering where the conversation was going to take them. "You are carrying his child, after all."

"Well yes," Emma said quickly in response, waving her hand behind her to indicate that she already knew that. "I mean that...well...we both know that he isn't entirely bad, don't we?"

"I have seen some glimmers of goodness in him," Charles continued sceptically, "but at the same time I know how he is filled with hatred."

"But towards me...Charles...all I've seen...is caring..." Emma blabbered out, looking to the ceiling and trying not to cry over what she really wanted with Erik. "I didn't fall for a monster."

"I think I know where this conversation is leading to," Charles nodded quickly and Emma raised a brow, the glass of orange moving back into her hands as Charles pushed his hair behind his ears, thinking about what she was trying to tell him. "You want Erik to have contact with his child."

"It is his child as well as it is mine," Emma shrugged. "If this baby is a mutant then I want it to learn how to use its powers and not be scared...not like when you found Raven...but I do not want it to go around and kill humans, thinking them all to be the scum of the earth like its father does."

"Erik's ideology is too strong for you to change, my love," Charles pronounced to her and she sighed once, already knowing that and not in need of the reminder. "In his own way he does love you and I do not think he would harm you or the child."

"If I were to tell him that he could see the baby on set days...with the promise that he will mention nothing of his...agenda...would that work for him?" Emma wondered aloud. "I just don't want the baby to end up siding with Erik on issues which are morally wrong."

"It is your decision, Emma," Charles said, removing himself from any side as he held his hands up in surrender. "If you want Erik to be a part of the child's life then I shall not stop you. I just want you to know that even though he loves you he will never stop believing what he does is correct. That could impact onto his baby and I do not know what the results would be like."

...

Erik sat in the park once again, his thoughts occupying his time as he thought about what he and Emma had spoken about. Did she not see that they were the dominant race? He had told her that he would protect her but she was too busy doing what was right. What she thought was right, anyway. Her pregnancy had indeed been a shock to Erik but the more he thought about it the more he knew that he shouldn't have been surprised.

And then there were the things which Angel had said to him in the very same park which he now found himself pondering in. Sacrifices were made. She had sacrificed what she believed for her little sister. She wanted to give her a better life and she didn't think that running around and killing innocent people would achieve that. Erik had often thought about what his life would be like if he gave up. If he gave up what he believed in then he knew that he could be content. Of course he would be content living with Emma. And now a child had been thrown into the mix. He was going to be a father.

He shook his head quickly, managing a small chuckle as he thought about that new fact. He wanted to help Emma with the baby. He wanted to be there when it began to walk and talk. He wanted to help it if it ended up being like him. But then he began to think about it. Erik was made by Shaw. He had been created by a monster and in turn had ended up thinking like one. He did not want his child to have that belief. And then if he told it about his views of humans then he wondered whether it would turn against its own mother. Children were easily led and their powers control them. Erik didn't even know what the result would be of those actions.

"I didn't expect to see you here again," a small voice said as they took a seat next to Erik and the metal bender looked across to see Angel sat there, a smile on her face as she looked to Erik.

"It's a nice place to think," Erik muttered, turning back to looking into the lake.

"It seems like you're always brooding," Angel commented, folding her arms and shuffling around slightly on the small bench. Erik rolled his eyes as he leant forward and clasped his hands together. "What is wrong now?"

"If I told you then I doubt you would believe me," Erik muttered back to her and she took her chance to roll her eyes, wondering why the man in front of her was always so mysterious.

"I've seen you raise a submarine. Trust me, anything else is more believable," she promised him and noted the way his throat gulped tightly and his eyes remained cast to the ground.

"I'm going to be a father," he declared, his voice didn't hold the usual air of triumph a normal man in his situation would have. Instead he sounded glum and utterly depressed about the fact. Angel blinked quickly, thinking about what he had just told her before she smiled once, resting a hand onto his leather clad arm.

"Congratulations," she declared, trying to make him more enthusiastic as he let out a small sigh with a sarcastic smirk.

"You think it is something to be happy about?" he asked her and she nodded quickly.

"Of course it is!" she snapped at him. "I take it that Emma is the mother?"

"Yes," Erik said curtly.

"Most people would love the chance to be a father, Erik," Angel said hastily. "Think of happy you'll be with a baby...you can see their first steps...and when they walk...and I took Angela to school the other day and...I can't describe it. It was fantastic and you have all of this to look forward to."

"There's one small problem," Erik muttered, his voice deep and irked as he spoke. "Emma doesn't want me anywhere near the baby."

Angel seemed taken aback at that. Erik sensed her hesitance and he shook his head, still looking to the ground before Angel looked to the sky.

"Why?" she wondered. The simple question held so many answers to it but Erik didn't want to delve into it. He didn't even know why he was giving the woman time of day considering she had been one of the most fickle mutants he had ever met.

"Can I have a word?" a sudden voice spoke and Erik looked up, knowing the stern tone anywhere as he looked into her eyes and Angel looked across to her, standing up as she did so. She didn't say anything further to her, knowing that she probably despised her considering the last time she had seen her was to betray her brother's team.

"I'll leave you to it," Angel said, looking back at Erik as she did so. "Just think about it...you sometimes need to sacrifice things..."

The black haired young woman looked puzzled as Angel walked away, her hands in her pockets as she sauntered off from the back. Erik continued watching the young Xavier as she sat down, her hands coated in black, fluffy gloves as she crossed her legs, turning her head to look at Erik.

"How did you get here?" Erik whispered, sitting back in the seat, his eyes never leaving hers as she shrugged.

"Charles had Nick teleport me here. He seems to have that as gift too," Emma shrugged.

"How did you find me here?" Erik tried another question and Emma tucked her hair behind her ears, buttoning up the top button on her black coat afterwards.

"Charles has...well...let's just say when he puts his mind to it then he can find the person he wants," Emma muttered back. "Chicago is quite a lovely place too."

"So why are you here?" Erik shrugged, blinking quickly a few times as he did so. "You have made your feelings perfectly clear, Emma."

"I was angry," she explained to him, turning her body slightly to face him as she pleadingly looked at him. "I was annoyed with you. I guess I wanted you to change for me and the baby. I thought you maybe would...but I realise...I can't change you...you're mind is set in stone..."

"That still doesn't explain why you're here," Erik said, trying to remain mysterious as Emma sighed for a second, her breath emitting smoke in the cold evening as her hand curled around the back of the bench.

"I want you to be in our baby's life," she promised him. "I want you to have a say...Erik...what I don't want is for you...I don't want the baby to have the same beliefs as you..."

"And you think that will work?" he arched a brow and Emma shrugged, biting down on her lip, radiating uncertainty as she did so.

"I think children are easily influenced, Erik." She promised him. "I just want our baby to have a normal upbringing...do what normal children do..."

"You think that will be possible?" Erik checked with her. "It could be a mutant."

"Charles had a normal upbringing," Emma snapped back. "Didn't you when you were a child?"

"Until I was thrown into a concentration camp," he added on.

"But before then, weren't you happy, Erik?" Emma asked him and he remained silent, thinking about what she had just said to him. "If none of it happened...if Shaw didn't...Erik...would your mother want this?"

Erik's eyes turned into a glare as he looked at her, wondering how she knew about his mother. He didn't divulge information with anyone about her.

"Charles told me," she whispered, looking down in shame as Erik remained mute. "I know what Shaw did to her...but I also know she was like millions of other people who just want to live their lives peacefully...Erik...she was like me...she raised you to the best she could...and I know that..." Emma pointed to herself as Erik turned away from her. But Emma refused to let him run. She took his chin into her hand, easily turning his face to look back at her. "You are not a monster regardless of how much you want to be one."

"My mother...was shot by men...like you...humans...Emma..." Erik snarled at her. "Why do you think I can't stand them?"

"I know why you can't," Emma snapped at him, her hand moving down into his bare one as she grabbed onto tightly. "But killing them will not make you happy, Erik...please...this baby...us...we could be so happy..."

"I know," he admitted to her, his thumb gently parting her lips as she closed her eyes for a moment and moved closer to him. "I don't pretend to not know."

"Life is too short to worry, Erik," she whispered as his thumb moved to the side of her mouth, tickling her skin. "You've been through hell...but now...you can stop this...come back with me...Erik...come back with me and our baby?"

Erik looked at her, thinking about what she had asked him as he remained emotionless. The scary part was that he was truly thinking about what she had just asked him. He was truly taking a moment's thought to think about going back with her and having a family. He was thinking about his own needs and his own future. He was wondering what he truly wanted.

...

A/N: So thank you Country-Girl20, xxpunkygirlxx, darniece, HeartyJessica, Ninavs2, fan17 and Trulzxoxo for reviewing the last chapter. I hate to say that I think I may be coming to the end of the story and when I say the end this time then I do mean I will finish it. Erik and Emma have had a rough ride and there's only so much they can really take. My question would be this - happy ending or no happy ending? Please do let me know what you want to happen and I thank anyone for taking the time to read this.


	36. Chapter 36

Erik rested his forehead against Emma's, breathing in her intoxicating smell as he placed a hand onto her neck, his fingers feeling her soft skin as her breath came out in short pants. His eyes were open, focused on her closed ones with intent as he thought about what she had just said to him. Her hand moved into his free one and she held onto him tightly.

"If," Erik said, a slow drawl to his voice as he did so, speaking in a hypothetical manner. "If I come with you...Emma...I want..."

"What?" Emma asked; opening her eyes and bringing her hand up to soothe his cheek as his eyes held a look of confusion and wonder. And shockingly there was something which Emma hadn't seen before. A small glitter filled their normal darkness, looking as if it wanted to be the dominant feature of them. He had some hope. "As long as you stop killing innocent people...people like me...then we can be together, Erik..."

"What about those who aren't like you?" Erik whispered as people passed them in the park. The two of them were too wrapped up in their own little world to even care what others around them thought was going on. Some thought they were in the middle of a break up and some thought they had reconciled. No one had any true idea. "There are people...Emma...humans who fear us...what about those who threaten to bring us down?"

"I can understand that, Erik," Emma nodded quickly against his forehead as she moved closer to him, their upper bodies pressed against each other. She smiled gently at him, baring her teeth as she did so, trying to be encouraging as she did it. "And if they were to ever threaten you then I could understand why you would want to hurt them...Erik...but incidents like on the beach...when innocent people were at risk...that's not acceptable..."

"What you're proposing," Erik murmured and Emma's face turned stern again as she pulled back from him slightly, still holding onto his hand as she did so, "you agree that some humans are not...desirable...and you would allow me to continue against that?"

"Erik, I..." Emma trailed off, closing her eyes again and turning away from him as she thought about what he had just asked off her. He watched how she sucked a large breath in, her chest puffing out as she did so and she looked back to him as he remained looking as though he wanted the answer to be yes. "If that situation were to arise like it did with Shaw...and Williams...who- may I point out- were actually both mutants."

"Carry on," he pushed her and she shrugged once.

"I cannot say that it would thrill me for you to hurt them...but...there is so much more you can do, Erik," Emma urged him and Erik shook his head quickly and grabbed onto both of her gloved hands, holding them urgently in his as his jaw set in a stubborn manner.

"You didn't answer the question, Emma," he informed her. "If people were hurting our kind, what would you have me do?"

"I would understand if you stopped them, Erik." Emma finally blabbered out, taking one hand from his and running it through her hair as she shook her head, looking down onto her lap. "I would understand why you would stop them. But innocent people do not deserve this, Erik. People who want a quiet life and just want to get on with everyday trivial things want to continue doing so and they are innocent. Do you really think attempting to rule over them is the best scenario?"

"I think it is the right scenario," Erik nodded over at her, truly believing that was still the case as Emma sighed once. "But...ruling over people...being in charge of a team...would it bring me what I truly want?"

Emma's breathing hitched up a level, her face turning pale as she thought about the question which he had just asked her and she shrugged once, forcing herself to look into his eyes as she did so.

"What is it you truly want?" she wondered aloud. "If you want to be the dominant race then yes, it would bring you what you want."

"That's not really...Angel...she said some interesting things earlier," Erik said and Emma tried to keep up with where the conversation was heading as Erik looked out to the lake, his thoughts consumed and his lips moving up in a small smile as Emma remained watching him like a hawk. "She didn't come back because she has a little sister. She told me that to be really happy then you make sacrifices."

Emma remained silent, gulping once and waiting for him to continue on with his story but it seemed he didn't know what to say.

"And maybe...just maybe...trying to rule will not bring me what I want," Erik whispered, turning back to look at her wide blue eyes which were looking at him in wonder. "Maybe all I want has been in front of me all along."

"What are you trying to say?" Emma asked, wanting clarification from his words and he smiled at her, a genuine heartfelt smile which showed off all of his pearl white teeth as he placed a hand onto her cheek again, feeling her cold skin as she remained emotionless, wanting to hear the blunt, sharp words from his mouth.

"For an Oxford graduate you're not very smart sometimes," he informed her and she shook her head at him quickly, her hair bouncing all over her face as she did so.

"I need to hear it, Erik," she begged him. "I need you to say it."

"I already did," he teased her and she rolled her eyes at him.

"No riddles. I want the truth," she said and Erik continued with his large smile, thinking about what Emma had just asked of him and he nodded at her.

"I want you," he declared; his voice soft and warm for once, the noise ringing around her ears in delirium. After all of this he wanted her. "I want you and our baby...I want what I once had when I was a child..."

And that was enough for Emma to quickly place her arms around his neck and awkwardly kiss him as he laughed once. His arms moved around her waist as he pulled her closer to him against the bench, quickly kissing her lips as she spoke to him, her hands moving to his face.

"What...took...you...so...long?" she asked him in between her mouth landing on his with force and he looked at her for a second, seeing that she had begun crying gently and he held onto her waist.

"I just didn't know what I had until I nearly lost it," he explained to her before she started kissing him again.

Seven Months Later

"Erik!" Emma shouted his name as she stood at the bottom of the stairs, holding onto the banister as she allowed it to take some weight from her feet. She looked down onto her swollen stomach as the baby began to kick inside of her and she groaned for a moment, knowing it was going to be just like its father -a strong little thing. Emma heard a shout of German and then the slamming of things onto the ground before she saw him emerge from the room at the end of the hall and he stood at the top of the stairs.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice clearly agitated as Emma raised a brow at him, her eyes narrowed and he shook his head, picking up on her clear look of annoyance as being addressed like he had just done. "Sorry...no way to talk to the mother of my child...what is wrong, Emma?"

"I was just wondering what all the noise was about," she simply spoke, looking back into the stone tiled kitchen to make sure her dinner wasn't burning as Erik ran a hand through his hair and he shrugged once.

"I'm trying to make this cot fit together," he grunted and Emma began to move up the stairs, holding on tightly to the railing as she moved up the carpeted steps. "I sometimes wonder why I even gave up the day job...this is impossible...chasing down people like Williams and Shaw was much more easy..." he muttered as Emma pushed past him, walking into the room which was to become the nursery and her eyes went wide at what she saw.

"What...Erik...just...how?" she blurted out, taking in the appearance of the room. Metal screws were strewn all across the floor. Pieces of wood sat at different angles in comparison to where they should really have been and the cot looked like it had been built upside down by Charles who was terrible at DIY.

"It is not as easy as it looks!" Erik defended himself, moving his hand out and pulling the screws together, dropping them into a neat pile on the wooden set of drawers which had already come ready made.

"I thought it would be easy for you," Emma informed him, her hand moving onto her stomach. "I thought you were practical."

"When it comes to hutting Nazis, then yes, I was very practical," he assured her and she rolled the sleeves up on the blouse she was wearing to her elbow as she pointed to the door.

"Go and check on the dinner," she said to him and he blinked quickly, shaking his head as he grabbed onto her elbows, steering her to the door.

"I am going to finish this. You are not." He said to her, his voice stubborn as Emma rolled her eyes.

"I can do a better job than you!" she promised him and he chuckled once.

"I doubt that," he said. "Now go back downstairs and I shall be down when I have made this cot."

"That's never then?" Emma taunted him and he kissed the top of her head before moving back into the nursery.

"Domesticated bliss clearly is not for me," Erik called out to her, turning around in the doorway and grinning once. "Do you see the sacrifices I have made for you?"

"Only because you love me," Emma called out and she moved down the stairs, leaving Erik leaning in the doorway, a small grin on his face as he folded his arms and nodded once.

"I guess I must do."

...

A/N: The final to last chapter here guys! Thank you to anon, Meo, xxpunkygirlxx, dreamsnhugs, darniece, golden-priestess, country-girl20 and Trulzxoxo, for reviewing the last chapter. I went with the happy ending, mainly because they do happen, don't they? And this is Erik and Emma we are talking about! Anyway, the next chapter and final chapter should be out later today, so until then, please review and thanks for reading!


	37. Chapter 37

Six Years Later

"Lemonade, Charles?" Emma asked her brother as he sat at the patio table. The table was made of steel, just able to fit two people to eat on it on the mosaic covered surface of different colours. Charles had moved himself from his chair and onto a cool, steel seat, grateful for movement after his long journey down to the coast. He looked up at his sister and nodded once.

"Yes please," he responded and Emma picked up the glass jar, pouring the greenish looking liquid into a clear glass and then handing it to her brother. She poured another two glasses before moving across the large lawn, picking up a chair from the main outside dining table and then placing it to the table. Emma took a seat on the other chair, crossing her legs and looking over to Charles.

"So how are things in New York?" she enquired and Charles chuckled once, nodding as he did so and drinking some of the lemonade.

"They are good," he assured her. "We have several new recruits. Sean has left with Amy to travel the world and Alex is helping me to train the others. Hank and Raven...well...I shall let her tell you that piece of news when she comes back from the bathroom."

"Oh?" Emma wondered, her eyes going wide and she rested her clasped hands onto the table, looking giddy with excitement as she did so. "Is it good?"

"I would say so," Charles nodded back to her, looking over to the view on his left. He had to admit that Emma hadn't done badly for herself. The cottage called home was large and white, ivy moving on the walls and windows making it look like something out of a fairytale. And the grounds themselves were filled with trees, nowhere near a main road. Multiple steps led down onto the sand covered surface where the sea washed up and down every day.

"And how are you?" Charles asked, looking back at Emma who was sipping on her drink and she nodded at her brother, a small smile on her face.

"Content," she replied in a whisper. "Could I be anything other than that?"

"No," Charles replied after a moment's deliberation before he saw Raven move out from the cottage and down the stoned path to the paved area where they sat in the afternoon sun.

"I hear you have something to tell me?" Emma checked with Raven as soon as the blue mutant sat down and Raven looked at her sister and then back to her brother before reaching across and hitting him on the arm quickly.

"Could you not wait?" she snapped playfully and Charles rolled his eyes at her.

"I didn't tell her the news. I just told her you had some." He replied quickly to her. "So don't pick on me."

"So go on," Emma urged her and Raven raised her hand up, her fingers straight as she looked bored, putting on an act. Emma looked for a moment, observing what she was seeing and then she squealed in delight, grabbing her hand and admiring the ring which sat on her finger quickly.

"You're engaged?" she checked and Raven nodded, finally smiling widely as she did so and she looked onto the ring as Charles watched the sea, allowing the two women to scream over Raven's news.

"He asked me the other day before we came out here," Raven said. "It was so romantic too. He took me into the grounds of the manor and he had a picnic set up...I couldn't think of anything better..."

"Oh Charles!" Emma exclaimed, looking at her brother who smiled back at her. "Our baby sister is getting married."

"I know," he replied to Emma before the three of them heard a loud scream come from the beach. But the sound wasn't one which made them rush to the cliff top and wonder what it was. Instead, they remained seated for a moment, looking at each other and then Emma stood up.

"He'll be messing around again," she said, her voice trying to show complaint but failing terribly. Emma folded her arms against the breeze from the sea, straightening out her yellow dress and making sure the brown belt was secured around her waist. She rubbed up and down her bare arms as she looked onto the sight on the beach, a smile moving over her face.

The tall man was walking on the sand, a small girl stood beside him, holding tightly onto his hand as he kept her pushed towards the sea, allowing the waves to lap over her ankles and she yelled at him quickly, laughing as she did so. He continued laughing along with her, his arms around her waist before he picked her up into his arms, squeezing her nose and then returning back to walking down the beach.

...

"Mummy is going to kill me!" the little brown haired girl complained. She had her father's hair colour but her mother's long curls which shaped her pale face. The Xavier's eyes were on her face whilst she contained the Lensherr's stubborn chin.

"Oh, I don't think she will," Erik replied with a smile as he set her back down onto the beach and she looked onto her flat shoes which were covered in water and the bottom of her summer white dress was also slightly wet. Erik pulled up his brown jeans, tucking his white polo shirt into them further before he placed his hair back into place. "She loves you too much to kill you."

"But she did yell at me because I didn't tidy my room," she pointed out to him and he smiled down at her.

"She didn't mean it. She just gets annoyed with you, Elizabeth," Erik assured his daughter, grabbing onto her hand and twirling her under his arm.

"She says she gets annoyed with you too," Elizabeth informed her father and Erik grinned once, looking out to the sea and then nodding once.

"I know that," he said and then dropped down onto the ground, dragging her down with him as they sat beside each other.

"Daddy...how...what are they?" Elizabeth asked him timidly and Erik looked at her gaze and onto the numbers which were permanently tattooed onto his arm. He had seen her looking at them before but she had never asked him before. Erik normally donned long sleeved clothes around her but the weather was too warm. He looked at the permanent reminder of his childhood and then at his daughter.

"They...I'll...it isn't really a story for little five year olds," Erik replied to her and she jutted her chin out just like her father did when he was being stubborn.

"I'm nearly six, Daddy," she complained to Erik who raised a brow, still grinning with amusement.

"Are you really?" he teased her and she nodded quickly.

"I'm grown up," she promised him.

"Oh Lizzie," Erik chuckled, standing up and grabbing Lizzie with him, tossing her over his shoulder as she continued to laugh loudly. His aim to distract her from the question had worked as she continued to giggle and he moved her back to cradle her against his chest.

"Should we go and find mummy?" he checked with her. "I think Uncle Charles and Aunty Raven could be here."

...

"He's so good with her," Emma promised her siblings when she had sat back down after looking onto the beach where Erik was with his daughter.

"I never thought it would be possible," Raven admitted, twirling a strand of hair around her finger as she rested her elbow onto the surface. "I didn't think Erik was the settling down type."

"Oh he isn't," Emma replied with a shake of her head. "He still likes to go out and stop mutants from being hurt but...now he doesn't go often...he doesn't feel as though he needs to needlessly risk his life when he has a daughter to come home to."

"And a wife," Charles added on and Emma looked onto the wedding band which occupied her finger and she tossed her hair behind her shoulders before she heard a shrill voice moving up the steps and they all looked across to see Erik setting Elizabeth down onto the lawn.

"Uncle Charles!" she exclaimed loudly, running over to her uncle and launching herself onto his lap, hugging him tightly. Charles smiled widely and Emma stood up as Erik walked slowly over to them.

"Little Loopy Lizzie," Charles replied to her and Raven stood up, bending down to Lizzie's height and raising a brow at the little girl.

"Did you forget about your Aunty Raven?" she wondered and Lizzie jumped off of Charles's lap and hugged her Aunt tightly.

"Of course not, Aunty Raven."

Emma's eyes went wide for a moment as she looked down at her daughter and she raised a brow.

"What happened to your shoes, Elizabeth?" she asked her daughter who stepped away from Raven's hug and pointed over at Erik as she did so.

"It is Daddy's fault!" she yelled and Emma looked at her husband who was smiling still and he wrapped an arm around her waist tightly, pulling her against him and kissing her cheek.

"Don't suck up to me, Erik Lensherr," she said to her husband, elbowing him playfully in the ribs and he continued smirking widely.

"Sorry Mrs Xavier-Lensherr."

"So how are your powers?" Charles asked his niece and she nodded quickly at him.

"Daddy has been teaching me how to use them. I set the table without moving from my chair!" she called out.

"Has he really?" Raven said. "So do you think you can move anything bigger?"

"I can swing myself...watch..." Elizabeth demanded bossily from Raven and Charles. She grabbed her Aunt's hand, dragging her to the swing which was set near the trees and Charles moved himself into his wheelchair, moving through the grass.

"She is as bossy as you," he informed his sister who snorted once.

"I think she is worse," she commented and Erik wrapped both arms around her waist, resting his chin onto her shoulder as they watched Elizabeth sit on the swing. Raven offered to push her but she declined politely, saying that she could make the metal chains move back and forth herself.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Erik whispered in Emma's ear and she moved to look at him softly.

"She makes you wish we could stay here all summer, doesn't it?" Emma replied to Erik. "I wish we could just stay here...instead of going back to Oxford..."

"But you'd be lost without your teaching job." Erik assured his wife. "You're a Professor now."

"I suppose so," Emma agreed. "Elizabeth needs to see me doing a good job so she can follow."

"You already have her down as being a Professor?" Erik enquired with a grin on his face and she nodded cockily.

"Obviously," Emma drawled. "She gets the brains from her mother."

"And the good looks from her father," Erik responded as Raven and Charles clapped the small child for her efforts on the swing.

"Of course, dear," Emma agreed sarcastically.

"No arguing?" he responded and she turned in his arms, resting her hands onto his shoulders as she looked into his eyes.

"I prefer an easy life nowadays," she responded and Erik grinned, his finger curling under her chin as he lifted her face up and lowered his.

"And that's the way it will stay, Mrs Xavier-Lensherr," he promised her, slowly kissing her and thinking about the entire future which they had together.

...

A/N: Finished! Well thank you for everyone who has reviewed this story over the course of its life and thank you to anyone who has been reading it. I do hope you have enjoyed it and please, do leave me one final review. Thank you, very much.


	38. Chapter 38

"Mummy read that story last night," Lizzie informed her father, her lips pushing outwards and remaining in a straight line as she watched her father. She remained sat in her bed, the duvet pooled around her lap as she sat in her pyjamas with rabbits on them. Erik took a deep breath, sighing once. Of course mummy has read all of the novels to her.

He allowed his finger to skim along another book, raising a brow and waiting for her reaction as she crossed her legs suddenly, putting her hair behind her ears as she did so.

"Page one hundred and sixteen," she spoke simply to her father who grinned, picking the book out and moving across the plush, brown, carpet to settle himself on the edge of her bed as she scooted along slightly.

"Pride and Prejudice," Erik said with a simple shake of his head as Lizzie looked at him sceptically and he flipped the book open. "Your mother is certainly making you into a little academic."

"She says that I'm clever like her. But I said that I think you're quite clever," she informed her father who couldn't help but grin, his eyebrow raised as he looked down at her as she played with the edge of her duvet.

"Quite?" he wondered aloud, teasing her as she shook her head quickly.

"Well you can't be as clever as mummy," she pointed out to him as he remained with his lips upwards, tugging further than normal. "She's a Professor, daddy."

"I suppose so," Erik agreed, "but we're special, aren't we?" he nudged her in the ribs, the book falling to the side of her as she shrugged once, biting the bottom of her lip. Just like her mother when she was nervous. Erik shifted his weight on the bed, his legs moving to rest on the bed, his feet hanging off the end slightly as he wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"Why no agreement?" he simply enquired and Lizzie sighed an exasperated sigh which only a child could let out as she closed her eyes, hugging herself tighter to her father.

"Well...I heard Uncle Charles and Aunty Raven...and well...they said that I might not be able to control it sometimes...daddy...I don't want to do anything wrong..." she expressed her concern and Erik kissed the top of her head softly, ruffling her curls afterwards.

"You won't do anything wrong, Lizzie," he promised her. "You're very good. You can control your powers. They don't control you. You don't need to worry; your Uncle Charles and Aunty Raven were being boring grownups and were worrying."

"Promise?" she checked with him, adjusting the collar of her pyjamas which were digging into her neck slightly. "I'm just worried that if I get angry then...well..."

"You won't do anything wrong," Erik assured her, squeezing her shoulder. "You haven't done anything wrong before and you won't. You can trust daddy, Lizzie. He knows best."

"But-"

"-Yes," Erik interrupted her quickly. "I know mummy actually knows best but when it comes to this I know best. Okay?"

"Okay," she replied after a minute hesitating.

"Now are you ready for your story?" he asked her, wanting to move off the topic of her eavesdropping to nothing which should worry her. She was a mutant and if she lost control then it was only normal. She didn't need to fear that.

"Why are you reading me a story?" she asked him and Erik placed some of his hair back into its correct location.

"Because mummy has gone out with Uncle Charles tonight and Aunty Raven had to go home to sort out her wedding and look after the mutants." Erik explained as Lizzie nodded in understanding.

"When did you and mummy get married?" she asked him simply. She was always changing conversation. Always enquiring about things. But she was a child, what did he actually expect?

"Just before you were born," he informed her.

"When did you meet then?" she wondered and Erik chuckled deeply whilst Lizzie looked at him, wondering what was so funny as he thought about the story of how and Emma met. Was it a story for his daughter to know? How her mother had hated him and he hated her? The way they taunted each other and how he turned against her on the beach only to kidnap her when she was in danger and both of them discovered they actually did love each other, did she need to know that? Then there was the simple issue that Lizzie was a mistake.

No. Erik wouldn't tell her that. He would edit some of it.

"Well your mother and I met when there was a war," he said to her and she didn't ask any questions which was fortunate. "There were these mean mutants and then there were the good mutants."

"But mummy isn't a mutant," Lizzie expressed her doubt.

"But your Uncle Charles was and mummy wanted to help. So...we defeated the bad mutants..."

"Did you love her straight away?" Lizzie asked. Did he love her straight away? Substitute love with loathe.

"Well...no...you don't love someone straight away..."

"Mummy said you loved me straight away," she pointed out to her father who crossed his ankles together, seeing sun set behind the shut large brown drapes as he thought for a moment.

"That's different," he told her. "You're our daughter and we're family. Your mother and I weren't family and so I had to take her on a date so that we could know more about each other."

"Where did you go?" she wondered and Erik remained stumped. Where had he gone? He had gate crashed her date once.

"Well...to a restaurant..." he thought quickly. Had he ever taken Emma on a date? When she was pregnant she had insisted on studying for her thesis. Erik had been occupied with making sure mutants were safe. They didn't date really. They stayed home and talked and then Lizzie had been born and there was no time for dates.

"What was it called?" Lizzie pushed him and Erik sighed once, running a hand down her hair as he placed the book onto her bedside table, resigned to the fact that it was not going to be read.

"I don't remember," Erik said. "But it was nice. Anyway, you should be going to sleep, Lizzie."

"It is eight o'clock," she pouted and Erik stood up. "Why don't you remember? I thought you were supposed to know? Aunty Raven knows everything about her and Hank."

"Ask your mother," Erik grunted out and switched her bedside light on, turning the main one off as he messed her hair up. "Now go to sleep and I will see you in the morning."

"Fine," she complained and Erik kissed her on the cheek swiftly before she lay down and he pulled the covers up to her shoulders. "Night daddy."

"Goodnight Lizzie."

...

"Your daughter asks the most intense questions," Erik informed Emma when she walked back into the small house, dropping her bag onto the sofa as Charles moved about the living room in his chair, on his way to bed after a nice evening with his sister.

Emma moved into the tiled kitchen, pushing her feet from the flat shoes and allowing them to stay in the corner, the cold tile on her feet as she watched Erik who was pouring himself an orange juice.

"My daughter?" she asked him, cocking her head to the side as he drained off some of the liquid, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand afterwards.

"She's your daughter when she's asking me questions which I can't answer."

"Oh," Emma cooed, looking a bit disappointed. "She didn't ask for the sex talk already, did she?"

"What?" Erik snapped out, spluttering out his orange as he did so, shaking his head quickly at her question and the thought of that conversation. "She isn't dating anyway...never...and that's a conversation for you."

"Good," Emma agreed quickly with him. "So what did she ask?"

"She wanted to know how we met and where we went for a date." He said and Emma's lips pulled upwards.

"What did you say?"

"I said I took you to a restaurant somewhere and we met fighting bad mutants," Erik shrugged, placing his glass into the empty sink bowl as Emma rested against the side, yawning once with wide eyes.

"Oh really?" she replied. "We we had best collaborate our stories. The truth...well...she doesn't need to know it, does she?"

"Hmm," Erik mused. "I just don't want her to think that I'm a monster."

"She won't," Emma promised him quickly. "She'll never think that about you, Erik. What happened was six years ago."

"It still haunts me," Erik mumbled, pulling his black polo shirt from his jeans as Emma wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head onto his chest. "What I did to Charles...he forgave me but I can't forgive myself..."

"It was an accident," she mumbled as he shrugged awkwardly.

"I just felt bad lying to her but I just want to protect her...I guess..."

"She's your daughter," Emma said, pulling back from him slightly. "Of course you want to protect her."

"So you don't think-"

"-No," Emma said before he could ask her anything. "Stop worrying. Now come on, I think it is bed time for us."

"It's only half past nine," Erik said, his face scrunching up as Emma rolled her eyes.

"Some of us have had to play chase for two hours on the trot," she informed her husband. "I'm not cut out for physical exercise."

"Of course not," Erik mumbled simply and she hit him across the arm before moving up the stairs.

"And it's your turn to take her swimming tomorrow," Emma deadpanned. "I don't think my muscles could cope."

...

A/N: Yes. I have decided to continue once again. More plot coming up soon too! Lizzie is going to play a large part in this! So thank you if anyone is still reading and please review!


	39. Chapter 39

"Do you have to go Uncle Charles?" Lizzie asked her uncle as she sat herself on his lap. He was settled in his chair, his eyes looking down onto the top of her head as he brushed some hair from her forehead, kissing her softly on her skin before he looked back over at his sister and Erik who were stood by the edge of the cliff, looking down onto the beach which the sea was lapping onto.

"I need to go back to my school, Lizzie," he spoke gently as she rested her cheek on his chest which was covered in a simple purple shirt which was tucked into his grey trousers. "Someone has to teach the mutants how to use their powers."

"So why aren't I at your school?" she wondered aloud, entwining her hands and looking up to her uncle, her mother's questioning gaze staring into his eyes as he took a deep breath, thinking about how to reply to that. "I am a mutant and daddy says I need to learn how to use my powers."

"You have your daddy to teach you, Lizzie," Charles informed her. "He's an excellent teacher and you don't want to move to America, do you? You like it in Oxford?"

"Okay," she agreed with Charles. He seemed to have fed her appetite. Her thirst for knowledge never seemed to be quenched and, of course, she was extremely inpatient and wanted the answer straight away.

"Are you going to go back to your mother then?" Charles said and she scooted herself from his lap and stood up. Lizzie scurried back off to Emma, tugging on the edge of her white dress and she looked down at her daughter, tucking her hair behind her ears and then picking her up under her arms. Lizzie wrapped her arms around her mother's shoulders as Erik ruffled her air. They made their way back to Charles who was grinning gently.

"I don't want to miss my flight," he said clearly and Erik nodded.

"I'll drive you," he promised him and Charles pursed his lips once, hoping that his sister would have volunteered but beggars cannot be choosers.

"I can go," Emma challenged Erik who shook his head.

"You stay here with Lizzie," he said, his voice held a tone of sternness in it as he looked at his wife and she eyed him with query but nodded. She would quiz him when he came back home as to why he looked like he did.

"Okay then," Charles agreed, extending a courteous nod to Erik who nodded back at him. Emma rolled her eyes. The pair of them had their subtle nods and was trying to be macho as per usual. "Thank you, Erik."

"No problem," Erik folded his arms, his jaw set slightly.

"Say goodbye to your Uncle Charles then, Liz," Emma urged her daughter and she set her down. The young brunette wrapped her arms around Charles's neck, holding him tightly before he kissed her on the cheek.

"You'll be back in no time, Lizzie. Your Aunty Raven will need your measurements for the bridesmaids dress, won't she?" Charles told her, trying to get her to smile. It seemed to work for she nodded quickly and Emma bent down, kissing him on the cheek swiftly.

"Look after yourself, Charles," she urged him, looking at him strictly and he rolled his eyes slightly. She was always worrying. But she knew there was always a force out there and against them. There was always someone wanting to destroy mutants.

"You too," Charles urged her. "I will see you soon."

"You will," she agreed with a forced smile.

...

Erik drove the car in silence for ten minutes, his eyes focused on the small country roads from the Dover cottage which they rented during the summer. He often ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back into its correct place as Charles looked down onto his lap, his hands folded on top of it.

"Is there a reason as to why you offered to drive me this long way?" Charles enquired but he didn't really need to be told that there was a reason. He knew something was eating up at Erik. It was something which he wanted Charles to know but he didn't know how to tell him. "And what is the reason?"

"I didn't say there was a reason," Erik commented back at him.

"I know you, Erik. I know something is eating up at you," he informed him quickly and Erik took in a deep breath, indicating to turn left even though there was nothing in sight at all. "And it is something which you haven't told Emma, judging by her look at you earlier which was very sceptical."

"I didn't know you were a marriage counsellor," Erik replied, sarcasm laden in his voice and Charles chuckled, looking out onto the green countryside which was passing him by.

"I know you and Emma. I think we've been through enough," Charles said and noted Erik wincing at the mention of the past. "What do you want to tell me?"

"Emma doesn't know this," Erik said, his voice dangerously low, almost not even heard over the rumbling of the engine. "I don't want her to know either. You have to promise me."

"I can't promise you that if you don't tell me what it is," Charles replied, his voice soft and goading, wishing Erik would indeed just spit out what he had to say. "You shouldn't be keeping secrets from Emma."

"I'm doing it for her," Erik snapped back, quickly looking across to Charles, his eyes glittering dangerously as he did so.

"I don't doubt it," Charles agreed. He knew Erik. He knew he cared for Emma and his daughter deeply and would do anything to keep them safe. "I know Emma and Elizabeth are everything to you, Erik. But this entire situation is vague. Tell me what is happening."

"When I was out," he began after taking in a quick breath. "When I was out one night...I was...it doesn't matter what it was doing. I was out. I came across something. There is someone who has a cure, Charles."

"A cure to what?" Charles asked, pushing him further.

"A cure to what we are. A cure to mutations," he said, looking across at Charles, his hands clenching harder around the wheel at the mere thought.

"And what do you want me to do about this?" Charles asked. "And why have you not told Emma about this?"

"Because...they saw me lurking...I stayed too long...and they said they'd find me...Charles...and if they find me then they find Emma and Lizzie," Erik explained, his eyes clouding over and he shook his head, blinking ferociously as he did so.

"What were you doing?" Charles wondered aloud.

"I had heard about some mutants forming a rebellion," Erik shrugged, not giving anything away about what he was doing. "It was the other day when I went out and you were all going to some zoo."

"You want me to investigate?" Charles checked and Erik shrugged.

"I'm looking into it but I'm trying to keep Emma and Lizzie out of this," Erik said, speeding the car up slightly. "I'm trying to get to them before they get to me."

"And what do I look for, Erik?" Charles wondered, his hand slicing through the air. "Where do you want me to go? What do you want me to do?"

"I need an ally, Charles," Erik said, the words managing to move from his lips and Charles thought about what he had just said. "I think I'm against something big which I...I have no team...I've moved on and I don't want anything like this..."

"You need to tell me more, Erik," Charles urged him. "But you must know that I will help you if it is for Emma and Elizabeth."

"Read my mind," Erik hissed simply. "It will be quicker."

"That it may be," Charles nodded. "Oh Erik...how do you get into these situations?"

"Unintentionally."

...

A/N: More to be revealed soon my dear readers! Thank you to darniece, MissCaityGrace, OrangeLoveVamp, HeartyJessica, Ninavs2, Breathewithme for reviewing the last chapter and continuing to read! Please do review! Would be amazing if I could get up to 200 reviews!


	40. Chapter 40

Charles and Erik pulled over to the side of the road and sat in silence, watching as some other cars moved past them but no one paid them any attention. Charles had his fingers pressed to his temple and his eyes were shut as were Erik's. The metal bender was taking in shallow breath as he felt Charles infiltrate his mind.

"He's a Professor," Charles said simply when he left Erik's mind. The other man pushed his hair behind his forehead as he looked across to Charles and nodded once, his muscles flexing at the memory which he had just seen. "Why did you get the feeling something was wrong with him?"

"The end of year meal which the University holds was when I saw him. Emma made me attend with her...all the other professors were there. I went to the bathroom and I heard him talking with someone else about an antidote which he had been working on in the laboratories. And then he did something...something to do with controlling water...I knew something was wrong."

"And you being you," Charles said; his voice low and slightly annoyed with the metal bender, "couldn't leave it alone?"

"You know how I feel on issues like these," Erik snapped back to him and Charles rolled his eyes, wondering why Erik could never just leave his curious trait behind him. "I had to go back to Oxford for the day to see what was happening."

"And the water shaper saw you and threatened you, didn't he?" Charles hissed. "He knows you're married to Emma and have Lizzie. He used them to warn you back."

Erik simply nodded, his head resting against the steering wheel as he tried to control the breaths which were escaping from his lips. The simple thought of his own family being hurt was not something which pleased him or made him feel safe.

"I don't know if I can let her go back to Oxford, Charles," Erik whispered, his dark eyes shifting to the side to look into Charles's baby blue ones and the telepath raised a brow. He unbuttoned the top button to his shirt, looking out of the window as he thought about what to do for the best.

"If she goes back to teach there then I don't think I could handle it."

"It is her job, Erik," Charles drawled. "If you don't tell her then she will go back. Even if you do tell her then she will probably defy you and go back anyway."

"I'm aware," Erik pursed his lips, leaning back in his seat, his hands resting on his cheeks as he truly thought about the mess which he had just gotten himself into.

"I think you should just let him develop the antidote," Charles muttered, looking down onto his lap and Erik's narrowed gaze set on him, his teeth clenched together as he did so.

"And what about if he manages to cure himself?" Erik hollered, his hands flapping by his side as he did so. "What if he makes the antidote on a mass scale? Have you thought about that?"

Charles remained silent, his eyes looking over to the side of the window as he thought about what he had just been asked. Erik allowed a small grin of disbelief to leave his face.

"I will look into it," Charles decided suddenly. "But I will need to go back to the States."

"Why?"

"I have a group of mutants who are looking for teaching, Erik. You, Emma and Lizzie are safe whilst you're at the cottage. I will be back when you go back to Oxford with Raven...and then we will see about this Professor Haywood."

"And what am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Erik snapped at Charles. "The antidote could be ready and by September it will be too late!"

"Nothing will happen in two weeks," Charles assured him. "I shall be back, Erik. But he may not figure out how to use the antidote correctly. You do not need to be brash."

"Waiting only delays progress," Erik informed Charles who rolled his eyes again.

"Just enjoy the time you have with your family, Erik. And tell Emma, for the love of God."

...

"Lizzie," Emma complained whilst she stood at the oven, stirring the stew which was in the large grey pan. She looked on as her daughter lazily sat at the table, her hands in her head as she used her hand to flick the knives and forks about the table, setting it without moving. "You cannot use your powers all the time, sweetie."

"Daddy does," she pointed out and Emma pursed her lips, looking around the kitchen and out of the small window which looked onto the sea and she thought about where her husband was. "When is daddy coming home?"

"Soon," Emma simply responded.

"That's not a time," she complained and Emma chuckled once, leaving the stew to bubble for a second as she washed some pots in the sink, turning around to look at her daughter.

"He should be back before you go to bed," she promised her as Lizzie tucked her hair behind her ears. "And then he can read you a bedtime story...maybe finish off Pride and Prejudice."

"He said Winnie the Pooh is better," Elizabeth informed her mother who smiled once into the bubbled water.

"It is good." Emma said before she heard the phone ring loudly from the hallway. She removed the pan from the heat, patting her daughter's head as she moved into the hall, rubbing her hands on the towel as she went.

"Hello?" she enquired, twirling the cord around her finger whilst flipping the towel over her shoulder.

"Professor Xavier-Lensherr?" the voice checked and Emma rested against the side of the staircase.

"Speaking," she clarified.

"It is Professor Haywood," the man said and Emma vaguely remembered him from the science department when she had to speak to him regarding one of her students.

"Professor," she greeted, "what can I do for you?"

"It is about my role as head of year," he said, his voice deep as Emma wondered why he had to call her during her holiday. "One of your pupils , Ryan Baker, has decided to drop out of your course next year. He wants a reference from you considering he is going after a job."

"Oh...yes..." Emma babbled. "I will write one and send it through the post as soon as I can."

"Thank you very much, Professor," he replied and there was an awkward silence for a moment. "How is your summer going?"

"Very well, thank you," Emma replied with a nod, looking into the kitchen where Lizzie was using her powers to turn the water tap on and off and Emma rolled her eyes. "Hectic, anyway."

"You've gone to the coast with your husband and daughter, have you not?" he checked.

"Yes...Erik and I like to get out of the city..."

"That's funny."

"What is?" Emma wondered, her brows furrowing together as a 'tut' noise was heard.

"I could have sworn I saw your husband in Oxford the other day...it looked much like him...tall...brown hair...a suit with a purple tie and handkerchief."

Erik had been wearing that the other day. The other day when they were at the zoo. And he didn't come. But why was he in Oxford? He had said he had just gone out for a drive and that he had some business to attend to. Why did he lie? What was going on?

"Well...I mean...I didn't think he was..."

"It did indeed look like him," Haywood remained stubborn and Emma coughed lightly.

"Well...yes...anyway...I have to be going...I have tea on...Goodbye, Professor."

Emma hung up quickly and looked around the hallway, wondering indeed, what was going on.


	41. Chapter 41

"Can't I wait for daddy to come home?" Lizzie asked her mother later on in the evening when the pair of them was in the small living area. The little girl was sat on the sofa, her legs folded underneath her and her hands clasped together as she watched her mother tidy up the room, slamming things down as she constantly ran her hand through her hair, her face stern and full of wonder.

"Not tonight, Lizzie," Emma said sternly back to her daughter. She simply pouted with her plump lips but her eyes remained looking down onto the soft material of the sofa but knowing not to question her mother when she was clearly not happy with something. "You go up and brush your teeth. I will come and tuck you in after I have finished here."

Emma watched Elizabeth scurry off with haste, her head drooped and her curls falling into her face. She took in a deep breath, her palm hitting her cheek and pulling the skin down, thinking about what was even going on. What was Erik playing at? Where was he? She knew he had a long journey but he should have been back by now.

He had been acting odd for a few days. He had almost been keeping Emma close to him, not wanting to see her leave. She knew he was sometimes too controlling and overprotective but not like he had been.

...

Erik looked onto the cottage when he pulled up and he remained seated on the long seat, his arm outstretched to the wheel as he thought of the family which he had inside of it. Emma and Elizabeth were all that mattered to him. It had taken him a while to realise it but he had finally come to his senses. And now he had risked putting them into danger all because he couldn't keep his nose out of other people's business.

But he had a duty. He had a duty as a mutant to protect other mutants from people like Haywood. He knew that and, thankfully, Charles knew that.

He removed the key from the ignition after a few minutes and pulled his body from the car, shutting the door quietly and then moving down the garden path. As soon as he entered the cottage, he was surprised to find it was quiet. He cautiously ran a hand through his hair before moving off down the hallway and into the living room. Emma's back was turned away from him as she hugged herself, one hand holding her chin and she remained facing away from him.

Erik watched her cautiously, his hands by his side and his eyes scrunched up in concentration as he coughed once, making his presence known, but, she still did not turn around. Did she know? How could she know?

"Where have you been?" she enquired simply. Did he tell her? Could he tell her what had happened? Her worry would be ridiculous but she had the right to panic.

"I...the car...overheated..." Erik simply lied to her. He had spent a great deal of time talking to Charles and then he had needed time to gather his thoughts. She whipped around quickly, her arms falling by her side and her hands moving into knuckles as she shook her head at him with a raised brow.

"The car broke down?" she checked with him and he nodded again, his face stern as the two of them stared at each other.

"Yes," he continued the facade and Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"I know when you're lying to me, Erik," she hissed at him quickly. "We both know you're doing it now and normally you're so good at lying."

Erik's eyes went wide as he remained looking at her with interest and concern. How did she know he was lying? He hadn't done anything to suggest that he had been.

"What are you talking about?" he said, playing the innocent card with her and Emma's cheeks tinted red as she heard him.

"Oxford," she simply spoke to him. "I hear it is nice this time of year. Maybe you can confirm my beliefs?" she enquired and Erik's Adams apple bobbed up and down and he felt himself crumbled under her gaze. Surely Charles hadn't told her.

"How do you know?" he whispered to her, his head bowed and he saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes and he wondered why she was crying. Surely she was mad and not tearful.

"Professor Haywood said he saw you...he called me earlier...Erik...what were you doing? Why did you lie to me?" Emma wondered and Erik pushed his hair back and turned around, his hands clenched onto the side of his head as he thought about what to say to her. Haywood had got to her. But he hadn't said what he was doing. No, he had left that dirty job to Erik.

"I had to go, Emma," he simply said, his hand slicing through the air as Emma remained watery. "I did it to protect you...if you knew...I can imagine your reaction."

"Erik," Emma muttered, "just tell me...you're not having an affair...you're not...are you?"

"No!" Erik snapped out loud at her, moving over to her with his hands outstretched as he wrapped his hands around her arm, looking into her eyes. "How can you think that, Emma?"

He was hurt. He was hurt she would even ask him and he was horrified that she thought he would do that.

"I was worried, Erik," she complained. "I've been here for hours thinking about what you've been keeping from me...and I know...I know I'm not like you...and I worried...why else would you lie to me?"

"Don't," Erik snapped, pulling her closer to him as she rested her head against his chest and sniffed. "Don't ever think that you're not enough, Emma. You should know better than that. You're my wife, for goodness sake."

"I'm sorry," she sniffed, her arms moving around his waist and he rested his cheek on top of her head. "I'm sorry, Erik. I know you wouldn't do that but I just wanted to know why you had been lying to me. You never lie to me. And then I was thinking and you know how I can worry...of course I worry...I mean...look at me...Erik..and you've been acting odd...for a few days."

"I do," Erik said; his voice strict as he did so. "And I see the mother of our amazing daughter who is intelligent and beautiful. Do you understand me, Emma?"

"So where were you?" Emma said, changing the topic as she stepped back from him and Erik took a deep breath, preparing to tell her the truth which he knew she would not like.


	42. Chapter 42

"A part of me wished you were having an affair instead," Emma informed Erik curtly, her voice strong and resilient as she moved into the kitchen, looking for a stiff drink as Erik sighed. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes. He rolled his dark orbs, moving into the kitchen behind her and resting against the counter, his hands clasped onto it as Emma slammed the cupboard door shut and opened the lid to the whiskey.

"I don't think so," Erik informed his wife, walking over to her and trying to snatch the alcohol out of her grasp but she pulled it back, pushing it behind her as she glared at Erik. "You do remember what happened the last time you drank, do you not?"

"No," she said honestly and Erik's chin set in a stubborn manner as he looked at her.

"Of course you don't," he grumbled, "because you were too busy passing out and throwing up."

"Don't start, Erik," she warned him, jabbing him in the chest and glaring up at him. "You...Jesus Christ...our own daughter! You've managed to get our own daughter into trouble!"

"I know what I've done!" Erik yelled back at her, his hands moving around her upper arms as he shook her once, backing her up against the counter as she placed the bottle there. "I know what I did, Emma. You don't need to remind me."

"Well someone should," she snapped, trying to get away from him. "You said to me six years ago that I was enough...you said Lizzie and I were enough, Erik. And we're not, are we? You need to continue on this quest which you have."

"Don't you see why I had to?" he pleaded with her and she snorted once as his arm wrapped around her waist, his hand holding onto her chin and forcing her to look up at him. "If this antidote was to get out then it could be the end for our kind, Emma. I've lived through one war and I don't intend to go through another one."

"Why can't someone else do it?" Emma pleaded with him, her voice hoarse as she tried to hold herself together. "Charles has the X Men...Erik...you could have told him instead of going back to Oxford like you did...because now...he phoned me...Erik...he called me..." Emma said, clasping a hand over her mouth as she looked at her husband and shook her head. "Erik, he called me."

"He did it to get to me," Erik decided. "He did it to get to me, Emma. I won't let anything hurt you or Lizzie."

"Well...I mean...I can't go back to Oxford...I can't take Elizabeth back there now that I know. Did you intend to tell me any of this?"

"I..." Erik trailed off, wondering what to tell her about this little predicament. "I was going to try and sort it before anything could happen."

"That's a no then," Emma huffed and raised an inquisitive brow at Erik who didn't confirm or deny. He didn't need to. Emma knew him better than he knew himself sometimes. "Erik...you're such an idiot sometimes."

"I don't need to be reminded," Erik snapped back at her, releasing her from his hold and picking up the bottle of alcohol for himself. He grabbed a glass, pouring the liquid into it before downing it.

"So what do we do?" Emma wondered in a quiet voice, looking out the window and onto the large lawn and sea view as she rested her head into her hands, her elbows supporting her weight on the surface.

"Charles has agreed to help me stop Haywood," Erik whispered, trying to calm himself down as he poured himself another glass of alcohol and Emma snorted once, rolling her eyes as she did so. Of course he would have told Charles. He would have told anyone apart from his own wife.

"He's gone back to America, Erik," Emma reminded him and Erik nodded.

"I am aware," he said simply, both of them not looking at each other still. "But he said he will come back before you go back to Oxford to help. As long as we remain hiding out here then we should be safe."

"I'm not going back to Oxford, Erik," Emma said simply and his eyes went large as he swirled the liquid in his hands.

"Charles thought you would...then again...he didn't think I would tell you this before he came back..."

"You see this, Erik," Emma said, finally turning around, her finger pointing to the wedding band on her hand as she did so. "This means that I'm your wife. It means that you tell me everything...you don't keep any secrets from me."

"I know, Emma," Erik said, his voice low and apologetic as Emma gritted her teeth, wondering if he did know. "But I didn't want to worry you."

"Erik," Emma chuckled once in disbelief, turning away from him again as she tried to remove the smirk from her face. "I'm your wife. It is my right to worry about anything which you do."

They lapsed into silence for a moment, keeping their distance from each other before Emma ran a hand down her hair and continued to think about what kind of a mess they had gotten themselves into. Well, the mess which Erik had gotten them into.

"Haywood could know where we are," Emma decided suddenly as Erik drained the remainder of his alcohol. "He could easily get into my contact details."

"What are you trying to say?" Erik wondered.

"I'm trying to say that I want to go to New York, Erik. Not for me but for our daughter."

"You and Lizzie go," Erik agreed and Emma shook her head, moving past her husband and to the staircase as she did so.

"You're coming with me, Erik," she hissed at him. "I'm not leaving you here to get into trouble."

"I am going to sort this out, Emma," Erik said and she glared at him as she stood on the stairs.

"We shall discuss this later, Erik," Emma huffed. "I'm going to get Lizzie. I want to be on the next flight out of Britain."

Erik remained at the bottom of the steps, dropping his head to rest against the wooden banister as he heard Emma move into Lizzie's room.

"Erik!" she suddenly yelled down to him and he took to the stairs, the urgency in her voice obvious as he rushed into her room.

"What?" he wondered as Emma looked at the empty bed and then back to the metal bender who followed her gaze.

"She's gone."

...

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and is reading this! Please do let me know what you think!


	43. Chapter 43

"Oh my God," Emma gasped as she stood in the doorway of the room, one arm wrapped around her waist and her other arm extending her hand which rested on top of her mouth. Tears were forming in her eyes as she looked at the empty bed, unable to stare at anything else but the place where her daughter should be.

Erik was rushing around the room, his hands pushing things off from their correct place as he dropped to his knees, peering under the bed and his breathing deep and concentrated.

"She's gone...Erik...Lizzie..." Emma sobbed and Erik gave up his search of the bedroom as he slammed the door shut to her wardrobe and he took hold of Emma, his hands grasping her hips as he brought her body closer to his and he moved his hand to her chin, making her look at him.

"I'll get her back, Emma. She will be fine," Erik promised her and she pushed him from her, her hands frantically running through her hair as she shook her head, pacing up and down the bedroom as Erik looked at her, his eyes showing pain and hurt.

"You're the reason she's been taken!" Emma roared at her husband, unable to keep her emotions contained. "You're the...if you told me sooner...I'd never have let her out of my sight...but you..."

"Emma!" Erik yelled at her and she stood still, glaring back at her and she took in the way he was looking at her. His teeth were bared as his lips parted, his eyes glaring into hers and his face pale. He looked fragile. Broken. It was like a part of him had been taken and he was hurting badly.

"Erik," Emma whispered back, worried that the metal bender was about to break down. The strong, tough and often emotionless Erik Lensherr was on the verge of tears. But he knew crying wouldn't help. Pity was not an emotion which men like Haywood showed and Erik wasn't about to show them that he required it. No. Erik would get his daughter back. He had always gotten what he wanted. Shaw. Williams. They both had threatened him and he had gotten to them. And Haywood would be no exception.

...

"Erik, we need to go," Emma urged her husband as he moved into the closet of their bedroom, his eyes scanning around until he settled on the helmet. The helmet which had been made for him but which he tended not to wear. But he didn't know if Haywood had a telepath with him and he didn't want to take a risk. He didn't even know where to go.

"Where do you think he will be?" Erik asked her, his voice low as he pulled his brown, leather, jacket onto his arms and zipped it up at the bottom. "Do you think Oxford is the safest place to assume?"

"I don't know," Emma admitted, pulling her skirt down as she slipped into her flat shoes and pulled her hair into a bobble. "Wouldn't it be the obvious place? I mean...I work there and he knows..."

"So we can both agree that it is him who has Lizzie?" Erik checked with his wife and she nodded before Erik opened his sock drawer and moved them to the side.

"I think it is obvious," Emma admitted, biting her lip as she did so and wiping the moisture from her eyes quickly.

"Here," Erik said, shoving a silver object into his wife's hands. She took it, unbeknown to her what she was handling. She looked down at it whilst Erik grabbed his helmet and tucked it underneath his arm.

"You have a gun?" Emma snapped, still holding the object in her hands with caution as Erik nodded at her. "There's a gun in our bedroom! How long has it been here?"

"It is just a gun, Emma," Erik mumbled. "Precautionary measure."

"And why have you given me it?" Emma wondered as the pair of them stalked out the bedroom, quickly rushing down the landing and to the stairs as she grabbed her handbag and flung it onto her shoulder.

"Because I can bend metal. You can't," Erik muttered back to his wife who suddenly gasped once.

"What if he...what if he knows...Erik...and he..." Emma worried and Erik's whole body turned rigid as he took in what she was implying.

"No," Erik hissed once, grabbing the car keys from the bowl on the table in the hallway. "It is going to be nothing like what happened between me and Shaw."

"But he wanted to-"

"-No!" Erik yelled back at his wife quickly, his hair falling out of place and his hand slicing through the air as he glared at Emma who looked taken back. "It won't be the same. Do not speak like that. Understand me, Emma?"

She nodded back at him, unable to do anything but that as her eyes were widened and he Erik nodded, taking in a deep breath.

"You need to call Charles and tell him about this," Erik instructed Emma. "He said he would help."

"So you want to get my brother involved?" she checked, her voice snider than she had intended as Erik arched a brow in her direction.

"Charles is the only one who we can trust and if we want Lizzie back then we may need help," Erik said to her quickly before he turned on his heel. "You call him. I need a moment to think."

Emma watched her husband retreat and he slammed the door harshly before she sighed once and took hold of the phone in the hall, shakily calling for her brother to come and save them.

...

Elizabeth didn't know where she was. All that she knew was that it was cold and dark and she could hear voices coming from above her. She had moved around the room, feeling for anything that could help her. But there was nothing. The room was empty and there were just four walls. She sighed, settling herself back onto the lumpy and bumpy mattress on the floor, wondering where her mother and father were.

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed! Please let me know what you think!


End file.
